Desperate Hope
by SergeantJohnston
Summary: She didn't ask for any of this. Her little son didn't neither. None of those poor children did. The case has been dropped and many struggle to move on, but not Emaley. She's determined to find the truth behind that fateful day at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, with the help of the new, innocent night guard, Mike Schmidt.
1. Prologue: The Perfect Life (Part 1)

**Okay, quick author's note here! First off, I posted this story on Wattpad earlier today and wanted to try my luck over here as well. I will leave a link to that on my profile, eventually.**

 **Second, this storyline is going to be a tad bit different than the original FNAF storyline. Nothing too drastic, no big changes, just tiny tweaks since working around this game's jumbled storyline is quite difficult.**

 **Well, that should be it. Please review and leave me some feedback! I'm crazy nervous about this since it's so different.**

* * *

"C'mon, now, don't be bashful!" A middle-aged woman called out from the front of her crowded living room, waving towards a young woman who stood nervously in the doorframe. Cheers and laughter erupted from the family members that sat shoulder-to-shoulder throughout the room, celebrating the day and the reason behind the celebration.

The young woman shook her head with a nervous smile. "No, you go on with your story. This ain't about me, it's about Jackson."

The middle-aged woman huffed and put her available hand on her hip. "Emaley Grace, don't make me come over there! Get your little self over here and let me make your head a little big!"

Emaley, the young woman, rolled her eyes and sunk back into the wall, next to her husband of four years. He just chuckled at his wife and nudged her shoulder with his elbow.

"You know she ain't gonna stop until you're out there in the front." He reminded her with his signature crooked grin, his Southern drawl thick in his words.

Emaley just arched a brow, head cocked to the side. "You know your mother is crazy, right? Today's about Jackson; it's his birthday! She tells this story at every family gathering! I'm pretty sure this entire room has heard this story six times, John." She protested, ignoring the calls from her extended family.

John guffawed and nudged her again, pushing her a little harder. "C'mon, Em, it's her grandson! Telling his story involves you, so get over it!"

Realizing the odds were against her, she finally sighed and complied to her mother-in-law's wishes. Her family cheered, clapped, and laughed as she struggled to walk by, careful not to accidentally step on fingers and toes. Once in the front, under the flatscreen TV, her mother-in-law snatched her in a warm sideways hug and gave her a big kiss on the cheek.

Little children giggled at the exchange and some made sounds of disgust. Emaley was half-tempted to do the same, but didn't get the chance once her mother-in-law started talking again.

"Look at 'er! My baby boy sure picked a good'un to have my first grandson!" She praised, raising her glass of wine in one hand. Emaley just blushed and caught John's twinkling, brown eyes and gave her a wink.

Emaley blushed a deeper shade of crimson and looked back at her mother-in-law. "In all honesty, Jackson took all of John's features, so it wouldn't have mattered who he decided to knock up." She teased nervously, looking back at John for support.

The family chuckled approvingly at her joke and her mother-in-law hugged her shoulders tighter. "Whether or not that's the truth, I'm so glad it's you! Because of you, I know both my son and grandson are being well taken care of. You're a hardworkin' girl, have been for years. You stepped up when found out about little Jax when anyone else would've been throwing the biggest pity party. You accepted the consequences of your actions and accepted this responsibility." She gushed, the cheerful atmosphere dying down as the past came trickling in.

Emaley smiled warmly at the thought, remembering the days of panic and worry. She was just a fifteen-year-old girl, still a child in so many ways. Both she and John thought that they were smarter than the science of it all. They never thought that would happen to them. That changed when Emaley's precise cycle was off. They were both in an absolute panic when Emaley finally met him at school and told him her suspicions

When the doctor confirmed their, seemingly, biggest fear, Emaley was overwhelmed by it all. She was sick for a week from the constant fear and worry, on top of her pregnancy symptoms. They both thought their lives were over. They were both so young and so unprepared to take care of a child. For months, they planned on adoption. They even met with a great family that just seemed to be the perfect fit. They had it all planned out. She would carry the baby full-term and then once he or she was born, they'd go home with this new, successful family.

That changed when they were able to hear and see their baby. They had heard the heartbeat before, but really seeing him was the game changer. Seeing him moving and flexing his fingers pulled at her heartstrings. It was like magic. All of a sudden, he went from being the baby to her baby. He was really hers; living happily and comfortably inside of her. She couldn't go through with the adoption and signed off on it. She felt so sorry for the family, but she couldn't give him up after that visit.

After that, she and John were head-over-heels in love with their unborn child. Emaley knew of all the insults and labels that were put on her by so-called friends and even teachers, people that she always praised and respected; people that used to respect her. Normally, most pregnant teenagers would escape the world of taunts and torments by her fellow classmates and teachers, which was totally understandable. It was hard and unnecessary for both her and her baby. Yet, she took on the burden. She wanted to show every one of her nay-sayers they were wrong about her.

So, she stayed in high-school throughout her pregnancy and did some temporary home schooling after he was born. Thanks to generous family members and real friends, she was able to go back once Jackson was big enough and didn't full rely on her anymore. She was able to graduate with honors and was now attending a secular, online college.

Emaley's mother-in-law thought on this, as well, as she turned to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You've put a lot of people in their place with what you've done. Now, we ain't saying that you're the only teen mother that has done this, but we're saying that we're so proud to have one of the few in our family. I'm proud of John and the wonderful father he has become. He works two jobs to provide for his family and I don't think we can be any prouder. You two, together, have done more than what most thirty or forty year olds have done! You've grown to be smart, respectable, independent citizens and I couldn't be any happer that my grandson is growing up under your influence."

The room was quiet as each and every family member soaked in this experience. Emaley looked around to see so many warm, genuine smiles her way and even John's cousin, Natalie, who was five months pregnant, had to wipe tears from her eyes. She returned their encouraging smiles as she felt an arm slink around her waist.

John was now by her side and pulled her against him, kissing the top of her head. She could smell the intoxicating scent of his strong, musky cologne and the muscles in his strong arms as he embraced her. She felt like she could live in this moment forever, by his side, dwelling in the love of their family.

"To John and Emaley!" Someone shouted with a raised wine glass in his hand.

Others repeated the action and they were drowning in cheers; even the children, not quite sure what was going on, tried to join in with their cans of soda or juice packets. Emaley looked out the window where she could see her precious son playing in the front yard with the cousins closest to his age. The summer sun shone down on his light blonde curls, its rays bouncing off the locks radiantly. He looked so happy and so sweet running around in the yard, chasing after his playmates in what she guessed was a game of tag.

"Alright! Let's get on with the birthday video before I start bawling buckets!" Emaley's mother-in-law cried out, taking her focus off the window.

The family complied and Emaley and John took a seat right where they were since every other available space was already taken. As she sat there, wrapped in her husband's warm embrace, she couldn't think of anything better in her entire life. She had everything she would ever need right here in this living room. John's aunt was calling in Jackson and his friends and in a minute, they were going to sit together and watch their life unfold in front of them. It was absolutely perfect.

Too bad it was going to be short-lived. Not everything stays perfect and life never turns out the way you expect it to...


	2. Prologue: The Perfect Life (Part 2)

"Should we check him?" Emaley asked, sitting in her car that was parked in their driveway, the pale moon light illuminating half of her face as she turned to look at John who sat in the passenger seat.

John stared ahead and contemplated his options. "I dunno...He stopped whining like two hours ago...Surely, he's asleep, right?" He said with uncertainity in his voice.

Emaley grinned at their exchange. They had spent ten hours on the road since leaving his parent's home a day after the party. They were both happy to be home, but they were afraid of waking their sleeping child in the backseat. "Will he stay asleep is the real question here."

John carefully twisted in his seat and turned to look back at Jackson. He couldn't see much of him thanks to the dim street lights, but he could hear his soft snore. His whole body appeared slack, too, since he could see the slight shimmer of his blonde head flopped over the side of the carseat. If he wasn't scared of waking him, he'd laugh at the sight. "He looks KO'd." He commented in a whisper, looking back at Emaley.

Emaley now looked back at him and smiled. The poor thing had been stuck in a car for eight hours. They would get out and stretch their legs occasionally throughout the journey, but then it was back to his carseat. He had cried, screamed, and whined for hours until he eventually gave out and fell asleep. It was already midnight, way past his bedtime, and both parents knew he needed to be in his bed. "I'm gonna poke 'im." Emaley finally announced and stretched towards him.

John scoffed and gently slapped her arm. "He's a five year old, not some raccoon you accidentally ran over."

Emaley sighed and slumped back in her seat. "Well, John, what should we do? I mean, this is pathetic. We're stuck in our own driveway because we're too scared to wake our kid."

John smiled at her and looked back at Jackson, propping his elbow on the back of his chair. "We could just sit and dwell in the moment. This'll probably be the most peace and quiet we've gotten out of him sine he was born."

Emaley did the same as him and looked back at her precious son. Resting her chin on the back of her chair, she gazed at her sleeping boy. She would never get over the fact that he was really hers. He seemed so perfect, too perfect to be hers. She kept waiting for the day when someone would come by and take him away from her, saying it was all just a dream.

At the same time, she couldn't imagine life without him. It was like the first fifteen years of her life were just a dream and having Jackson brought her to reality. It was like her entire existence made sense once she saw his tiny, beautiful face for the first time. This is what she was born to do. She was born to be this beautiful child's mother and she praised every second of it. She never realized it before, but her life was empty without Jackson. She didn't feel like she was really living until she finally got to bring him home. This little boy was her everything; he was what kept her alive.

"Okay, you've dwelled too long." John suddenly remarked, forcing her out of her trance.

Emaley glanced between Jackson and John with a half-hearted grin. "What?"

"You looked creepy. I momentarily feared for the safety of our child." John teased.

She rolled her eyes and bent down to snatch her purse. "I was gazing at my child. I'm his mother, I can do that."

"Just don't do that in public or you'll probably show up on the news the next morning."

At that comment, Emaley whipped around and arched a brow at him, obviously not entirely pleased with such a joke. "Seriously, John? Like I would ever let anything happen to Jackson." She paused to glance back at him and frowned. "It would kill me."

John grinned sympathetically and reached for his door. "C'mon, how about we get him outta this thing and we all get to bed. Then you'll have extra energy to hate me in the morning."

Emaley chuckled and nodded her agreement. "If we can get him back to bed. Here's to hoping he won't wake up and stay up."

John laughed heartily at the thought as he unbuckled himself and got out of the car. "Wouldn't that be just right! Of all the traits he could possibly share with you, he'd share the insomniac trait!"

"What's a insommasack?"

The little, drowsy voice interrupted their conversation and both parents sighed. Even with all their precautions, he still managed to wake up. Perhaps this was going to be a long night afterall.

Emaley popped the trunk open and gathered all of the bags of gifts that he received at his birthday party while John busied himself with getting Jackson out of his carseat. Unbuckling him, he picked up the boy's limp-with-sleep body and cradled him on his hip, shutting the car door with his foot.

"Insomniac. And it's someone who can't sleep and stays up all the time..." John glanced back at Emaley who was now shutting the trunk and struggling to dig her keys out from her pocket. "Just like your mother."

"Heard that!" Emaley called out quietly, careful not to wake any of their neighbors.

"I wanna be a insommasack then, Daddy." Jackson stated sleepily, rubbing his eyes and burying his head in the hollow of John's shoulder.

John chuckled at his little boy and hugged him tighter against his chest. "How 'bout we sleep on that decision, okay, bubbie?"

Jackson wrapped his arms around John's neck and nodded once. "Mkay."

Once inside, Emaley practically threw the crazy amount of gifts onto the bar in the kitchen and huffed out a deep breath. She was too tired to mess with them and decided to do something, properly, with them in the morning. As John made his way to Jackson's bedroom, Emaley flipped on the lights to make the journey a little easier on him.

John turned on the lamp beside Jackson's bed and kicked some of the toys away. It looked like Jackson was going to have a busy day putting his toys away tomorrow. Emaley followed John and leaned against the doorway, watching her husband put their child to bed. Sure, they should've changed his clothes, but they were all too exhausted to do anything at that moment. So, John shrugged off his little tennis shoes, took off the extra shirt he had on, and tucked him into bed.

As Emaley watched the scene, she looked around her child's room. If a stranger were to just look at this room for a few seconds, he could accurately guess what kind of boy Jackson was. The whole room was a big, jumbled mess of his vibrant personality. The walls were a light green with paintings of dinosaurs on each wall, thanks to a neighbor who excelled in bedroom art. Toys of every kind littered the white carpeted floor and clothes lay scattered from where he had "tried" to pack for their trip the week before.

In the corner, beside his art station, was a row of shelves dedicated to the Freddy Fazbear gang. Every kid in town loved the local pizzeria that had been there forever. Jackson loved the place and managed to persuade her and John into letting him go every chance he could get. He loved each and every animatronic, but the fox was his favorite. He dressed up as Foxy the Pirate for Halloweeen for two or three years now. Even with the beloved animatronic shut down, Jackson and other children still loved the treasure-loving robot and would sometimes visit Pirate's Cove just to talk to the animatronic behind his curtain.

Once Jackson was tucked into bed, John slowly walked back to the door where his wife waited for him, testing to see if the boy would really sleep if left there. After several moments of silence, John turned to Emaley and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, ready for bed. Just as they were walking out the door, though, a little voice cried out to them from the room.

"Wait! Mama, Daddy, you didn't sing my Sun Song!"

John sighed and Emaley chuckled lightly. "We didn't sing the Sun Song, Daddy." She whispered playfully, poking his chest.

John just rolled his eyes at her and turned back to Jackson. "But you were sleeping just fine without the Sun Song in the car." John protested, hoping to talk some sense into the little boy.

Jackson was silent as he crawled over to the end of his bed, where his Freddy Fazbear shelf was, and grabbed his Foxy plushtoy then crawled back where he was. "I can sleep without it, Daddy, but Foxy likes to hear it, too! It helps him sleep." Jackson hugged the plushie close to him and cradled him like a baby.

John looked over at Emaley who shrugged. "Fine, fine! We'll sing the Sun Song. But only once and then it's straight to bed with you and Foxy." He finally complied, walking back over to Jackson's bedside.

Emaley followed and crawled over to Jackson's side, hugging his shoulders and brought the plushtoy in between them, snuggled in the space between their shoulders. "We can't have Foxy having any bad dreams."

Jackson beamed a smile up at her and cuddled against his mother's side, careful not to disturb Foxy in between him and his mother. John started off the song with the first verse, like always.

" _The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping_

 _I dreamt I held you in my arms_

 _But when I awoke, dear, I was mistaken_

 _So, I hung my head and I cried,"_

Jackson watched his father sing the words, his eyelids growing heavy as he mouthed the words with him.

 _"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine_

 _You make me happy, when skies are gray_

 _You'll never know, dear, how much I love you_

 _Please, don't take my sunshine away,"_

Now, it was Emaley's turn to sing the second verse. Jackson shifted his attention to his mother, who cuddled him against her side and sang sweetly.

" _I'll always love you and make you happy_

 _And nothing will ever come between_

 _But it you leave me, to love another_

 _That will shatter all of my dreams,"_

This time, Jackson sang along with her as she went through her turn to sing the chorus.

 _"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine_

 _You make me happy, when skies are gray_

 _You'll never know, dear, how much I love you_

 _Please, don't take my sunshine away,"_

Jackson dug Foxy out from underneath him and placed him on his chest so he could take part in their singing as Emaley, John, and Jackson sang the last chorus.

 _"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine_

 _You make me happy, when skies are gray_

 _You'll never know, dear, how much I love you_

 _Please, don't take...my sunshine...away..."_

Once they finished the song, Jackson squirmed underneath his blankets, staying true to the promise he made his father just a moment ago. John bent down to tuck him tight and placed a kiss on his forehead.

"Sleep tight, Captain." He whispered and gave a wink towards the plushtoy, to which Jackson giggled.

Emaley crawled off the bed and came around the side where John had just been. "And sweet dreams, baby boy." She finished John's statement and gave him a lingering kiss on the cheek.

Before she could turn and leave, Jackson lifted Foxy out to gain Emaley's attention. "Don't forget Foxy, Mama. He likes bedtime kisses, too!"

Emaley put a hand over her heart and playfully scoffed. "How could I ever forget Foxy! Don't worry, Foxy, even pirates can get bedtime kisses!" She reassured the plushtoy and gave him a light kiss on the snout, careful not to accidentally get any lint in her mouth.

"Goodnight, Mama. Goodnight, Daddy!" Jackson called for the final time as he reached to turn his lamp out.

Before leaving, Emaley turned on Jackson's dinosaur nightlight and looked at him one last time. He spoke to Foxy in a hushed voice, so she couldn't make out what he was telling his best, robotic friend, but she smiled at the exchange. Her precious baby boy, still showing love to an animatronic that had been put away for almost a year. She only prayed that he was still as soft-hearted and considerate when he's older.

"Goodnight, love."

* * *

 **Well, that's another part down! There should be one more parrt of the prologue and then the real story will start! Thank you, Beawolf's Pen, for your review and I hope to see you again *hint* *hint* ;)**

 **Well, I don't have much to say besides the usual! Please review and/or leave any kind of feedback! All will be appreciated! I hope you guys stick around!**


	3. Prologue: The Perfect Life (Part 3)

**Okay, everyone, here's the final part of the prologue! After this, we will get into FNAF's storyline (well, my version :P) So, I'll shut up and let you get right into it! Enjoy ;)**

* * *

"Jackson! C'mon, find your shoes!"

"But I don't know where they are, Mama!"

"Well, where'd you see them last?!"

"...On my feet..."

John sat at the breakfast table, cup of coffee in one hand, and watched the usual morning routine. Emaley practically flew around the house trying to round up every little thing she might need while out in town. They had been trying to get ready for hours -Jackson woke them all before dawn, too excited to sleep- and now, nearly noon, they were still trying to find all their necessities.

"You sure you don't want my help, babe?" John asked again, looking up at her behind the rim of his coffee mug.

Emaley spun around on her heels and gave her best grin. "No, honey, I'm fine. We're almost ready! Besides, you gotta get gone before you're late for work." With a wave, she went back to work shoving all the food back into the fridge after Jackson had pulled everything out in the middle of the night. He claimed that he and Foxy were starving and couldn't find the right thing to snack on. So, they pulled everything out and left it there, spilling half of everything into the floor.

"Jackson! Have you found your shoes yet?" Emaley called out again, shutting the fridge door once she declared everything put up.

"No!" He responded matter-of-factly, as if it wasn't important that he found his shoes before leaving the house.

Emaley growled and peeked over into the hall. Jackson was sitting in his room, playing with his Freddy Fazbear plushtoys and making them "sing" along to one of their famous, corny jingles. "Jackson Ray McKenzie! Quit playin' with your toys and look for your shoes!" She commanded, her balled fists landing on her hips.

Jackson dropped the toys and stared up at his mother. "But, Mama, I'm warming up for the party! You told me to be excited!" He countered, over-exaggerating his pouting lip.

Emaley just arched a brow. "I want you to be excited, but I've told you time and time again to get busy and find your things. I shouldn't be rewarding what you did to the kitchen by letting you go to this party, but you're on the last straw, son. If you don't start listening to me, you can forget about going to Freddy's." She warned, wagging a finger at him.

"But, Mama-"

"Eh! Don't 'But, Mama' me, Jackson. This is your last chance. Find your shoes and get ready, then you can go."

With that, Jackson abandoned his toys and ran to his closet, looking for his favorite pair of tennis shoes. Emaley sighed and walked back into the kitchen, laying her head on the counter. John chuckled and stood up from the table, walking to her side and placed the cup on the counter.

"You're doing good, Mama." He compliment and kissed her temple.

Emaley lifted her head at his attempt of making her feel better and half-heartedly grinned. "I hate getting onto him, but I swear, one of these days I'm gonna end up choking him!" She growled playfully.

John looked back at her from the sink, where he now had his coffee cup, and grinned. "Wait 'til there's more of 'em to yell at!"

Emaley's grin fell and rose her eyebrows at him. "John, please, I don't wanna talk about that right now." She warned, rubbing away the lack of sleep from her face.

John was suddenly in front of her, on the other side of the counter, and took her hands. "C'mon, Em! You said it yourself you wanted a big family! You've been tellin' me that since we were in the first grade! What's changed?"

Emaley scoffed and entertwined her fingers with his. "I had a kid! It's easy to want a bunch of kids when you don't have any!"

John smiled at her statement and played with her fingers, tracing the smooth band of her wedding ring. "I know, I know. Like I've said before, I understand all the waiting for another baby. We both agreed that we didn't want two kids in diapers at the same time. Jackson's been outta diapers for a long time now. Then, we agreed once we both graduated high school; it's been two years since we've graduated. I've been patient, Emaley, I've let you take all the time in the world, but I've been waiting three years to expand our family. Now, I'm not gonna force you to have a kid you don't want, but I'm asking you at least consider it. Just this one time, put my wants into consideration. I don't think that's completely unreasonable."

She wanted to argue. She wanted to protest that he was being unfair, but he wasn't. He had been a patient man these past three years. Not once had he ever pressured her or thrown a fit. He only mentioned it rarely and, for the past year, hadn't said one word about it. He'd been more understanding and patient about it than she would've been.

"I know, John, and you don't know how appreciative I am of that. I actually have been thinking about it these last couple of days since we got back from your mom's." She gushed, bringing their entertwined hands closer to her.

John visibly perked and stood straighter, or as straight as he could being bent over the counter. "Really?"

She couldn't help but smile at his reaction; he and Jackson were so alike in their innocent curiosity. "Yes, really. I've been thinking that maybe we can try in the fall. Now, I'm saying fall because by then we should be ready. Jackson will be starting kindergarten and you'll be rooted at work. And since babies are expensive, we'll be able to use the months in between to add into savings. I'll be able to focus on my online college and the pregnancy at the same time. We'll all be in a scheduled routine and it should be easier on us all." She proposed, eager and nervous about his reaction.

He was silent as he thought it all over, then smiled. "That sounds good to me. This is an actual plan, right? We're gonna stick to it, right?"

Admittedly, the thought of having another baby was scary. It had been so long since she carried Jackson and was worried she'd forget how to take care of herself after five years. Yet, she wanted this. Like John said, she always wanted a big family. Ever since she was a little girl she dreamed about being a mommy and having a big family to take care of. She had been born an only child and hated the loneliness of no siblings to play with. She always envied John because he had three older brothers and two little sisters. She always swore that one day she'd have the same kind of family like John.

"Yeah, it's an official plan." She finally agreed, giving him a nervous smile.

John glowed at the news, obviously trying to contain his excitement. He walked over to her and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug, ending it with a kiss. Most of their kisses now a days were just pecks on the lips as they rushed out the door, but Emaley felt more on this one. It was deep, filled with hidden passion. Her heart melted seeing how much happiness she brought him by finally promising him another baby.

Pulling away, he gave her a final peck on the lips and looked back in Jackson's room. The boy was still rummaging through his closet in his desperate search for his shoes. "I'm gonna find his shoes and put them on him, then I gotta go."

Emaley sighed with relief. That was one less thing she had to do this morning. Crawling onto one of the barstools, John peeked his head back around the corner and shot her a corny smile. "I love you, Emmy Grace."

She instantly laughed at the confession. They used to confess their "love" to each other as children in the same manner, same exact wording. "Stop it with that gross stuff, Johnny Ray." She countered, wrinkling her nose at him playfully.

John just laughed and disappeared down the hall.

* * *

Once Jackson was finally dressed and ready for his friend's birthday party, he and Emaley headed out the door and drove to the pizzeria a little after noon. She hated being late and hated that Jackson was late as well. She was happy that he was going to stay an hour or two longer with some of the others after the party because that meant Jackson would have more time to play and run his energy down.

Now, she practically drug him through the restaurant, trying to keep him from Pirate's Cove until they met with the parents. It was a struggle though. He constantly pulled against her hand and screamed after Foxy, his beloved pirate friend. She kept promising him that he was going to talk to him soon, but they had to meet with Miss Amber first.

Once they did, the thirty-year-old woman encased them both in a tight hug. "Oh, Emaley, it's so good to see you! So glad you and Jax got to make it! I was getting worried and was about to call you guys." She greeted them with a warm, genuine smile.

Emaley smiled at the slightly older woman. "Yeah, a lot of threats were made, but we're here! Thank you, again, for keeping him a little longer. With the doctor's appointment and the hundred bills I gotta pay, it's much nicer to know that he's here having fun instead of dragging a crying child everywhere."

Amber just smiled and giggled. "Oh, trust me! I know! I've had to haul Kimmy, Joel, and Zeke on errands and it was chaotic! It's good to have someone to watch 'em and keep 'em entertained on trips like that!"

Emaley just smiled her agreement on the matter and looked at the clock. Her appointment was in thirty minutes and it would take her twenty minutes to get through the busy lunch traffic. Before freeing him to play games and talk to Foxy, Emaley sat their gift for Joel on the table beside her and bent down to one knee in front of him.

"Now, remember the rules we talked about on the way over? Always-"

"Stay in the party room unless I'm with a group or Miss Amber."

Emaley ignored his interruption and went on. "And-"

"No talking to people I don't know or ain't with Joel's party. I know, Mama!" He finished irritably.

Emaley let out a breath and grinned. "Good. Now, you stick to 'em and be good! I don't want Mrs. Amber to tell me that you've been bad when I come to pick you up later today."

Jackson nodded and glanced back at the curtained area where Foxy hid. "I will, Mama, I promise! Can I go play now?"

With a kiss on the head, she let him run free. As he made a beeline for Pirate's Cove, she called out to him. "I love you!"

But he didn't hear her. Or just didn't call back. Either way, she just stood by and watched him run off. It was at that moment there that she got the first feeling. It was the lightest twinge, but it was there. Her gut told her to go back on her promise. Snatch him up and force him to participate in the boring errands she had for today. She didn't feel as comfortable as she had just moments ago now that he was away from her. Instead of acting on her gut feeling, she brushed it off as over-protective and turned away from him.

The whole building seemed sickening, now. The animatronics seemed to stare at her as she walked away, like they were trying to tell her something that she refused to hear. The shrill laughs of the children playing felt like shrieks of terror against her ears. She felt sick to her stomach as an employee, suited in a Freddy Fazbear costume, walked by her with a huge pan of pizza in his furry hands. It was like the whole restaurant was both begging her to stay and threatening her to leave, all at the same time.

She chose the latter. Hurrying out the door, she took one last glance back at the stage where the animatronics moved robotically in their designated spot. They sang and cheered with the children that crowded around the stage area. They giggled at Chica's food-crazed statements. They helped Freddy call out Bonnie to come and play his infamous guitar. Such innocence and excitement.

She should've never set foot in Freddy Fazbear's Pizza that day.

* * *

Hours had gone by and all the normal party festivities were over. They ate pizza and cake, opened presents, and the animatronics sang their special birthday song for him and gave him a spot of Freddy's Wall on Fun! Each and every child was given a sheet of paper and crayons to draw a picture of their day with Freddy and the gang before the party was over. Many drew them or their friends playing games, eating pizza, or sloppy version of animatronics. Jackson drew a picture of his best, pirate friend Foxy and eagerly found a place to hang it up on the wall.

Jackson had spent the day playing games, dancing and singing, and running around. He was exhausted! He had so much energy when he first arrived, but that had quickly depleted by late in the afternoon. He decided to visit with Foxy one last time before his mother came to pick him up.

"I can't wait until you can come out again, Foxy. I miss having adventures and looking for treasures! I have a little you back at my house that I play with. I think you'd like him." He commented drowsily, propping his elbow on the stage.

Silence, as usual, was his reply, but Jackson liked to imagine what Foxy would say in return. This time, it was, 'Aye, I miss our swashbuckling adventures as well, laddy! What kind of mischief do ye get into on yer ship?'

"All kinds! Last night, me and you tried to find the best snack for a pirate in Mama's fridge! We got stuff everywhere! Mama almost didn't let me go today!" Jackson beamed proudly, trying to peek underneath the curtain but couldn't see anything.

'Arr-har-har! It sounds like yer living the pirate's life already! But ye shouldn't be makin' yer Mama mad! What if ye didn't get to visit me? Aye, it's best to listen to our Mamas. Even us pirates gots to listen to Mamas!'

Jackson sighed and laid his head on his arms. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm just glad she let me come. I get in trouble a lot, so she doesn't let me come here much."

Before Foxy could continue their imaginary conversation, Kimmy, Joel's older sister, ran over and immediately tugged on Jackson's arm. "Jax! Jax, c'mon! We're gonna go somewhere cool!"

Jackson pulled away from her as three other children -Joel, a girl named Amanda, and a boy he hadn't met yet- came running up behind Kimmy, followed by an adult in one of the costumes that the employees wore. "What're you talking about, Kimmy?"

Kimmy huffed impatiently. She didn't want to waste any more time to explain everything. "There's a cool party room in the back for birthday people! The man said Joel and some friends could come! He said it's for special birthdays!"

Jackson looked at the other kid's excited faces, then up at the man. He couldn't see his face behind the costume, but he felt nervous. "I dunno, guys, my mama said to stay where everyone else unless I'm with a group or with Miss Amber."

"You are in a group! With all of us!" Joel chuckled at his best friend's obliviousness.

"C'mon, Jax! The man said that all our parents knew where we are! It's okay! He works here, remember? My mom said that every employee here is getting paid to make us happy. Let him do his job, Jackson." Kimmy whined, pulling on his arm again.

He had to admit, the idea of a special party room did sound really fun! He was with a group and they said Miss Amber did know where they were. Surely, they wouldn't get in trouble. Finally, he grinned and took Kimmy's hand. "Okay, I'll go!"

The group cheered and the man led the way. "C'mon, kids! The fun awaits!" He cheered over them with an animated laugh following.

Jackson was near the end of their group, Joel being in the front. They walked a long way through the dining area and past a room with a boarded up door before they finally made it to their location. Jackson didn't feel so excited anymore. None of the children did. Their cheers and smiles faded away the closer they got to the hidden, secret room and they started to huddle together.

Jackson and the girl named Amanda were now holding hands as they both visibly shook at the new, creepy looking room. Something wasn't right. They were young and naive in so many ways, but they knew when something wasn't good. The room was barren and cold. There was nothing in sight that they could possibly play with. Nothing that made this room special for the birthday boy.

Joel noticed this as the man in the costume locked the door behind him. He was the only one of the group to move as he walked up tentatively towards the suited man. "Um, mister? What happens now?" He asked in a shaking voice, terrified by the man's silent, slow behavior.

He didn't answer him, but started to remove the costume. First the head, and Jackson saw the back of his head. He had dark brown hair, that he knew of. He didn't find out too much about him after that. After the head was removed and placed on one of the empty tables in front of him, he slowly removed the rest of the costume.

The only thing he remembered about the man was his strange, and obvious, liking of the color purple. He wore a bright purple, button-up shirt, long black jeans, and matching purple tennis shoes. It was a rather strange outfit, but he didn't have much time to think about the man's sense of style before he reached back into the costume and pulled out a long, sharp knife.

Amanda tightened her grip on Jackson's hand as the man turned back to the children. Joel stood in front of him and now visibly shook as the purple-shirted man loomed over him, and finally answered his question. "I do my job."

Then the knife tore into Jackson's best friend's shoulder. All that happened next was a blur. Screams filled the room as each child ran around the room, looking for an exit. The unnamed boy beat against the door, tears streaming down his face, while Kimmy stood in horror as warm, dark red blood began to ooze from her brother's twitching body.

Kimmy was next.

From the corner of his eye, Jackson saw the purple man tackle the frozen girl to the ground and did the same thing to her as he did her brother. The little girl who had been so eager to give her younger brother the best birthday party now lay screaming on the ground, crying out for someone to save her.

Amanda had already ran away from Jackson's side and tried to hide in a corner, sobbing loudly with her face pressed against the wall. Jackson ran to one of the tables and sat behind it, his back to the purple man and Kimmy, who had now gone silent.

One by one, he laid there, crying in the fetal position. He heard each of his friends' final cries for life. He was absolutely frozen in fear and clawed at his ears, trying to make the sound go away. He didn't want to hear it anymore. He wanted to go home. He wanted his mother!

The screams eventually stopped and all that could be heard was the purple man's labored breath. He knew he could see him, but he wished that he wasn't going to do the same thing to him. He wished that this was all a dream so he could wake up and cry in his mother's warm, soothing embrace. He wished she was here to sing him his Sun Song and make him happy, take him far away from this place.

But this wasn't a dream. This was real. His friends were all dead. He was alone. His mother was never going to be here. She was never going to save him. He'd never hear the Sun Song ever again. He was going to die. Fresh tears stained his cheeks as he buried his face in his arms. Loud, pitiful moans echoed around him as he sobbed.

The purple man wasn't done yet. He could feel his presence, looming over him like he had done with Joel. For a split second, he thought he had a change of heart. Maybe, just maybe, he was going to have mercy on him. Just maybe he wasn't going to make him suffer the same fate since he was the youngest. Just maybe...

The purple man grabbed the boy by his tiny, weak arms and threw him on top of the table. Jackson saw the knife go up and he screamed.

"MAMA!"

Then nothing. In his last, final moments, he heard it. The Sun Song. He could hear his mother and father's melodic voices calling out to him. They were right there, he could feel their warm hugs and kisses. He could see their smiling faces as they looked down at him. Then, he saw nothing but darkness. He was gone.

 _"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine_

 _You make me happy, when skies are gray_

 _You'll never know, dear, how much I love you_

 _Please, don't take my sunshine...away..."_

* * *

It was nearly five in the evening when she finally made it back to the pizzeria to pick him up. She had a busy day getting everything done that needed to be done. Now, she was just ready to collect her baby boy and head home. She had forgotten about the uneasiness from before and was now thinking on more common topics. She was going to have to punish Jackson for deliberately making such a mess in the kitchen, but what was the right way? What was she going to make for dinner that night? John would be home within an hour and undoubtedly be absolutely starving. Nothing sounded particularly good, though.

It stayed that way as she pulled into the parking lot. Matter of fact, she felt sick. That uneasiness hit her again when she saw the police car parked outside and all the remaining guests and employees sitting outside. Something was wrong. Something was definitely wrong.

She didn't even turn off her vehicle as she put it in park and jumped out, running up to the first person she saw. Where was Jackson? Where was Jackson?!

"What's happening? What's wrong? Where's my son? Why's an officer here? Where's my son?!" She begged the woman erratically, grasping onto her shoulders as if her life depended on it.

The woman jumped when she grabbed onto her, but tried her best to calm her down. "We're not sure. They've been looking for a couple of kids for about two hours now. Someone reported that they heard screaming coming from the back. They told us all to come out here just in case of-"

"In case of what?! Where's my son?!" She shook the woman this time, fear creeping into her heart.

The woman didn't get to finish her statement as Emaley tried to run towards the entrance, but was stopped. The woman grabbed her by the arm and held her back, trying hard to contain the thrashing, screaming woman.

"Ma'am, please! We're not supposed to get in their way!"

"I want my son! Jackson! JACKSON!"

The woman still held her back as she started to fall to the ground. She had found Amber sitting across the parking lot, clutching onto her oldest son, Zeke. The cheerful, welcoming smile was far gone as tears smudged her makeup. Her skin was pale and she shook against her twelve-year-old's embrace.

Right then and there, she knew it was bad. Amber was not one to show any negativity. She was always optimistic and cheerful, always believing something good came from the bad in our lives. Looking at her grief-stricken face, she knew there was no good in this bad. With that, she fell to the ground and started sobbing, hiding her face from view.

She should've never set foot in Freddy Fazbear's Pizza.

* * *

 **Sorry, I know you probably hate me now. Trust me, that chapter was just as hard and sad to write as it was to read! So, basically, instant Karma! :P**

 **You know the drill, please leave a review and/or any type of feedback! Thank you to everyone that has read, followed, and favorited already! You're all beautiful and amazing and I love you! :D**


	4. Chapter 1: 6 Years Later

**Hello, all! Well, here we are, finally getting to the real story! I'm so excited to start this! Oh, I almost forgot! Last chapter, I looked over it after posting and realized I had a lot of typos and little mistakes! Stupid me, I get too excited to post a new chapter that I forget to edit it! I tried to go back and fix some things, but if you guys happened to notice me brainfarting (I love that word :3) all over the place like last time, please let me know! I hate for you readers to have to sit here and guess at what I'm trying to say!**

 **Also, one more thing. Most of the time while writing these chapters, I have music playing. Sometimes, it's just background, but other times they mean something more. This is one of those times! For this chapter, I got a lot of inspiration from _This Goodbye_ by Beth Crowley! Please, go check it out and all of her other songs! She's an amazing singer and this song is such an amazing fit for Emaley and her journey throughout this story!**

 **Okay, that's enough of me. Enjoy and be sure to leave me some feedback, please!**

 **Gah, I lied. I almost forgot (again). THANK YOU! A huge thank you to all that have reviewed, favorited, and followed so far! You guys are gonna make me cry, I'm so happy by the responses I'm getting! You make my week and I already love you all! (I obviously have emotional issues with all this love I'm thrusting at you haha)**

 **WARNING:** **(Thank you to Beawolf's Pen to bringing this to my attention!) This chapter mentions self-harm! I apologize for not adding this before I posted! I hope I didn't offend anyone, if so, I am sincerely sorry!**

 **Also, this will probably be the last time I add self-harm in the story. I, for one, do not like writing it and am using it solely for the purpose of showing the readers how far and how dark Emaley has gone since she lost Jackson and John. It was a bit extreme, I will not argue with you, but hopefully, you all understand Emaley's condition.**

* * *

"Mr. Schmidt? You still here?"

The rough, grizzly voice from the landlord snapped him out of his trance and Mike grinned apologetically. "Um, yeah, sorry. You were saying?"

"You been here long?" The man repeated his question hesitantly, worried the younger man would zone out again at the repetition.

Mike pushed himself from his car and started to walk alongside the elder down the sidewalk leading to the apartment building. Mike had been living with his cousins for almost two weeks, since he moved down here, and decided that he had enough money saved to go look for an apartment. Luckily, for him, the landlord, Mr. Albert Hemmingway, had at least one or two available apartments that he was willing to let him tour.

"Eh, not too long. S'been about two weeks since I moved down here from the East. I've been living with some cousins until I could find something for myself." Mike explained, shoving his hands down his jean pockets. The chill of late spring and being in a more Southern region was messing up his entire, daily routine. He was used to more sunny, warm locations instead of the chilly, humid weather the South offered him.

Albert nodded absentmindedly and wrapped his jacket tighter around him as a breeze blew by, freezing them both. "What brings ya down here? Most people from the East don't generally leave the East. 'Specially not for the South."

Mike grew visibly tense at the change of topic. It was a hard thing to talk about and he was just trying to escape it. Moving far from the East was all apart of his plan for a change in his life. His old life was supposed to stay back East where it belonged. "Personal reasons. Needed a change in life."

Albert noted his odd behavior, but didn't push it. Whatever it was, it was his business. "Well, I hope you get the change you need here in our little town." There was a pause as they both stared ahead of them, scoping out the neighborhood, before Albert continued. "So, Mr. Schmidt, do you have a steady job, yet?"

And another touchy subject Mike wanted to avoid. Yet, he knew it needed to be talked about from a professional point of view. "Not yet, but I have a lot of money saved up from other years. My cousins and I have been doing some jobs around town and other places that need some manual labor. I'm currently looking for a real job, but the search's been kinda rough." He explained tentatively, scared that he would tell him to leave since he didn't have a steady source of income.

Albert was quiet, though, as he let this sink in. "As long as you're able to pay your rent, I don't care what kind of job you get. I know most kids your days solely rely on modern technology for job searching, but have you tried the Want Ads in the newspapers? They's ain't glamorous, no debate there, but it's an income, right? Gotta take whatever ya can get."

"I've looked at a few and had some interviews from some, but I've never gone past the interview." Mike still cringed at the last, botched interview he had. He'd never show his face in that restaurant ever again!

Albert grinned sympathetically. "You ain't the only one. Lots of people been finding the hunt a little bare. Keep lookin', though. Some businesses are desperate around here for some new, fresh faces to join the crew." He encouraged, slapping the youth on the back with a friendly smile.

Mike nodded his appreciation and they were both silent the rest of the way to the apartment buildings. It was a pretty quiet neighborhood; the only thing he could really hear was the sound of cars going by and the muted voices from TV sets. Some children in the front yard of the complex, watched closely by parents who were chatting amongst themselves. For cheap apartments, it didn't seem too bad. He felt bad, now, for thinking he was getting himself thrown in with a bunch of stereotypical creeps and thugs.

He gave each a friendly nod or grin every now and then, imagining what it'd be like to be their neighbors. Some returned his greetings, while some ignored him. It didn't bother him too much; maybe it was just their personality. Across the sidewalk, a group of young children were playing with sets of toys, but there seemed to be multiple versions of the toys. Some looked more robotic and others were like plushies. They also seemed to be the same kinds of animals: a bear, a bunny, and a chicken...or was it a duck? He wasn't sure. One child had a wolf-like toy that had a hook for a hand. He hadn't seen toys like that before. Then again, he wasn't really keeping an eye in children's play items.

"You get to be Freddy all the time! Let someone else have a turn!"

"You don't even like Freddy, Isaac!"

"'Cause he's the one who stuffs the bad kids in the robots!"

"No he doesn't, Charley! Freddy, Chica, and Bonnie are just trying to make us happy!"

Mike furrowed his brows at the children's conversation and turned to Albert who just shook his head, almost ashamed that Mike had to hear that. "Please don't tell me I stumbled across Children of the Corn with that Isaac kid."

Albert just chuckled. "No, no, nothing like that! The characters they were talking about are from a pizzeria here in town. It's been a local myth that children were stuffed into the animatronics one night." He answered matter-of-factly, like it wasn't big news for an outsider to hear.

Mike stopped in his tracks. "What inspired the myth?"

Albert stopped and walked back to him, a sigh escaping his lips. He must've had to explain the local stories a million times to newcomers. "About six years ago, five kids went missing from Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, that pizzeria I was talking about. The suspect was caught and charged for his crimes, but the children's bodies were never found. They search went on for about a year before they were forced to close it. The kids've been presumed dead ever since...Now, a bunch of nuts of the neighborhood are going around using it as a tactic to scare little kids into behavin' and stayin' close to their parents. It's a sick way of rememberin' the dead, if ya ask me." He said disapprovingly, frowning at the ground.

Mike, admittedly, was saddened hearing the news. Every business seemed to have their own tragedy now a days, but it wasn't their fault. It was the people that did it. "I'm...really sorry to hear about that...How'd the business stay open after that?"

They were both walking again as Albert began to explain the story. "Well, the business was failing so they were forced to close its doors. Although, at the beginning of the year, they reopened the restaurant in a new location with a lower budget. They brought back some old animatronics -the ones the old restaurant kept in storage- and Freddy's has been entertaining kids again for months."

"What about the parents of the missing kids? What did they think about that?"

Albert shrugged at the touchy subject. "Some moved away, the memory of their kids too much to bear. Those that stayed are just trying to move on. The reopening was hard, but I think a lot have warmed up to the idea and just want to put the past in the past. O'course, it's always hard around this time of the year."

Mike perked at this and turned his torso towards him as they walked, body language saying he was concentrated fully on the man and this mysterious pizzeria. "What's this time of the year?"

"It's a week long thing in the beginning of June. They mark the days specifically in remembrance of the missing children. Some of the parents I just talked about will come down and pay their respects to their children and head back at the end of the week. It's a town thing. The restaurant won't hold any birthday parties for that week, but will allow kids to come in and play and eat some pizza. It's usually cheap that week, too." He explained in a low tone, like a preacher speaking at a funeral.

"Wow." Mike commented breathlessly. "I didn't know I'd be getting into a lot when moving down here. I'm surprised my cousins didn't tell me about it."

"Oh, not many people really talk about it. It's kind of a touchy subject. Like I said before, everyone's just trying to move on and don't want it haunting their every day lives. Can't say I blame 'em too much."

After that, the duo was silent again. Mike tried to let this new information sink in, but when it did it made him a little depressed. Those poor parents! Places like that should've been the safest place in town, but it turns out you can't trust anyone for your kid's safety when they're away from you. He was going to have to learn more about this so he could properly pay his respects during the week of remembrance.

Albert and Mike turned a corner and were now walking in front of a row of apartments. They were cheaper than the ones Mike came to look at and being around them made him feel on edge. He knew he shouldn't judge, but it was a creepy atmosphere. The few people that sat outside put a pause to their conversations as they walked past and watched them leave. One door at the end opened suddenly and out trudged a young woman about his age.

She was of average height and had a rather slim, delicate figure. Long, dark brown curls spilled over her shoulders and piercing blue eyes checked her little area. She seemed pale, like she didn't step outside of her apartment much, but that wasn't what got his attention though. The look on her face, the circles under her big, gorgeous blue eyes. Just looking at her, he could feel the sadness and anger seeping from her. Her appearance screamed anguish, but her eyes told a different story.

He had to admit, she was rather pretty. He had been looking around the area and saw some beautiful woman, but there was something about this one. She was just a simple girl, plain-Jane in more ways than one. Perhaps it was the atmosphere around her that attracted him most. She was alluring and mysterious, but not in a good way either. He hadn't noticed that he was staring until Albert suddenly had a hold of his elbow and dragged him along the sidewalk.

"Put your tongue back in your mouth, boy. You ain't gonna get nowhere with that girlie." Albert warned with genuine concern.

Mike looked over his shoulder and saw her slim figure marching off in the opposite direction, pulling the hood of her jacket over her head. "Why? What kind of trouble does she get into?"

Albert scoffed at the question. "None! Matter of fact, she barely does anything around here. She's like a ghost."

"Then why wouldn't I go anywhere with her...If I wanted to." He asked defensively, almost offended by his lack of trust.

Albert seemed hestitant to answer, almost nervous. Surely, it wasn't some kind of top secret, was it? "She's one of the parents of the missing children. Her name's Emaley McKenzie...Well, Emaley Carter."

"She change her name?" Mike asked skeptically. There was no way this woman had been in a divorce. She barely looked old enough to be in a long marriage let alone a divorce!

"Yeah, after she and her husband split. She's been divorced and took her maiden name for about...oh, four or five years now. Her ex-husband, John, moved back to his parents. Even got a new girl in his life." Albert explained warmly. This particular family seemed to hold a place in his heart.

"That wasn't what caused it, right?" Mike suddenly felt sorry for the girl if that was the case. Losing her son and then finding her husband cheating on her? It'd be an awful life to recover from.

"No, no! No way! John's not that kind of man. Southern gentleman type, real oldschool. After they lost their little boy, Emaley was never the same. Both of them weren't the same people they were before. Emaley got cold and distant, barely said a word to him and John took on more jobs just to keep himself from coming home. It was awful! After trying and failing to keep their marriage alive for a year, they finally decided to divorce and go their separate ways. It was a sad day, actually, when John packed all his things and moved."

Mike eyed the ground as the thought all of this over. He didn't know the family much, but it sounded like they must've been real close before they lost their son. He was definitely going to have to pay his respects to him and the other four children now that he, slightly, knew one of the parents. Especially since he was going to living nearby.

At that thought, Mike looked back at the cheaper apartments behind him. He had no idea where it came from, but it was like a lightbulb had gone off. Stopping in his tracks, he spun around to Albert and turned him back to the cheaper apartments. "You got anymore room over there?"

Albert's brown eyes widened at the young man's odd choice of rooms. "I got one, but they're under your budget and, to be honest, aren't exactly the nicest. The ones living in them are constantly needing someone to come fix something." He advised, placing a hand on his shoulder and trying to lead him away from apartments.

"I'll take it."

"What? Why?"

Mike just shrugged. He couldn't tell him his reason, but he smiled. "I'm willing to accept the challenge."

* * *

Emaley sat in the dark, barren living room of her equally empty apartment. The only light in the room came from the muted TV in the corner. A latenight sitcom was playing and the sounds of the laughter was too much. The little children making witty one-liners was too much to bear. Even looking at them proved to be difficult, so she now sat in a corner of the room, the broken-down loveseat blocking her view of the TV.

Tears pierced her eyes as she looked around the room. She remembered what her old living room looked like. The pale yellow walls that used to be so inviting and so warm. The white sofa and matching loveseat in the middle of the room. John's beloved, black lazyboy recliner in the corner. Near the front door, there used to be a big pile of shoes. There used to be shoes for every season, it seemed. Picture frames adorned the walls. On the right, in the corner, was a homemade family tree. Framed headshots of family were on each branch, John's side taking up most of the wall. She remembered it all.

The one she had now was nothing compared to her old one. The walls were still the same, bland shade of white that had been there when she first moved in. Paint peeled and chipped away as time drew by. The gray carpet was stained and dirty; she never bothered to really take care of it. After all, there was no point. She didn't have anymore friends and family to entertain. She didn't have a family to provide a happy, clean home for.

Her heart tugged uncomfortably and she forced those thoughts away. She couldn't think of it. It hurt. It was agonizing! It was all gone...everything. It was all her fault. John tried to be the good husband and comfort her. He never got mad, even when she lashed out and bit him one night just because he was trying to reach out and hug her. She drove him away and now she regretted it.

She was absolutely alone and it was all her fault. The only company she had was the stray cat that would crawl through her broken bathroom window from time to time. It took her days to really befriend the wild animal, and she had the scars and scratches to prove it, but it finally trusted her. Every time she went to make her a small, single meal, she'd lay out half of it in the bathroom in a bowl in case he decided to come visit her.

She looked forward to every visit she got from her feline friend, whom she had lovingly named Edgar Allan. He reminded her of the dreary, dark poet. She wasn't sure what it was about him that made her think of him, but it was the first thing she thought of when she decided to name him. She was glad she had Edgar Allan in her life. Sometimes, she wondered if he was the only thing keeping her sane during these long, dark, lonesome years. With him at her side, she felt like she had some kind of purpose. She was keeping him fed and, if he chose to stay, a safe roof over his head. It had been a long time since she had someone to take care of ...Someone that depended on her.

No. She couldn't think about... _him._ The pain that followed her reminded her of what she had planned for the night before she drifted off to sleep. She wasn't supposed to smoke inside the building, but she never really smoked it. She was glad that the lingering smell of nicotine clung to the inner fabric of the apartment from previous owners so she had something to blame it on.

Pulling out a pack of cigarettes, she paused to think about her actions. She did this every week, but it never seemed to stop her. She always gave herself the opportunity to stop what she was doing, but she never took it. And she knew she was never going to take it. Still, she liked to be able to say that she had the opportunity given to her. So, unwrapping the package and pulling one out, she grabbed the box of matches at her hip.

Striking a match, she lit the cigarette and held it in her fingers, keeping it far from her lips. She looked down at her exposed body and sighed. She had taken off her t-shirt before this. Her available hand traced her old stretch marks and she found herself absentmindedly humming to the tune of _You Are My Sunshine._ She caught herself with a wheezed gasp and plunged the cigarette against the skin of her belly, right on top of one of her old stretch marks.

She hissed at the burning sensation for a brief second, but then it was gone. The numbness swiftly followed and she could smell the cigarette burning at her delicate tissue. She did this all the time, but on her stomach was a first. Her arms -from the elbow and up- were covered in scars and burn marks. She had to leave the rest for cover-up, but the addicting, momentary sensation was too precious to her. For a few short seconds, she could feel something again. She wasn't numb and hollow.

" _Mama hurt?"_

The little voice from the past echoed around her and she found herself sticking the cigarette against a new stretch mark. She couldn't have _him_ here during this. She couldn't think about _him_ as she purposely made herself feel again.

 _"Mama, why are you so sad?"_

Tears were now streaming down her face as she recalled the memories behind each sentence from her precious little voice. She could almost _feel_ It was like he was squatting in front of her, trying to look at her face that she hid behind her hand. He was always so kind, so gentle. Even if she was crying about some sad movie she watched, he immediately came to her rescue. He hated seeing her sad...

He would've hated seeing her harm herself.

With that, Emaley put the cigarette out and threw the opened package across the living room, watching the little sticks of nicotine fly in the package's descent. She brought her knees to her chest, wrapped her arms around her legs, and buried her face in the slope between her legs. She just sat there and cried, sobbed, and moaned. She found herself screaming his name into the empty room, begging for the concerned little boy to come back and speak to her. It was no use. He was already gone and she was left to dwell in the hell she left for herself.

Just another Tuesday.


	5. Chapter 2: Tomorrow Is Another Day

**Hello, hello! I must apologize for such a long wait! School started back for me last week and it's been chaotic ever since! I'm in my junior year (graduating late lol you may point and laugh now) and am pushing towards graduation and I'm trying really hard to graduate with honors to compensate for graduating late. So, yeah, I've had a pretty busy week and a half so far! Hopefully, I will still find time for this story!**

 **Thank you, again, for all my readers! Thanks for dropping by and checking me out (that sounds weird...) it really means the world to me! Also, again, thank you to Beawolf's Pen for suggesting the warning! I had planned to put something in the beginning before I even started writing that chapter, but alas, I am stupid. I brainfarted and totally forgot about doing so! So, the chapter's author note is now updated and now warns readers!**

 **Anyway, that should be all I have to say. If not, oh well. I already talk too much anyway. Okay, shutting up, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Kids vanish at local pizzeria - bodies not found**

Mike read through the article, disgusted by the information it and others provided. Since meeting with Mr. Hemmingway, he had been even more intrigued by this mysterious tragedy at the local pizzeria. The more he read, though, the more it disturbed him. What really happened that day six years ago? Why was it so hard to find the bodies if they captured the suspect, thanks to surveillance cameras? Though he would probably never really understand the feeling, his heart tugged uncomfortably at the thought of those parents. The children, if they were truly dead, never even got a real funeral. All that was left for them were empty graves and memorial spots around town. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to lose family and not even having closure over it. One second, their children were alive and happy, then they were just _gone._ Vanished. Like they never existed.

 **Five children now reported missing. Suspect convicted.**

It just got worse as he scrolled through the site in search of separate articles. This one was basically just an update of the first one, but it only left him with more questions. Where are the children? Articles and videos claim that they caught the suspect in the act, how did they miss the children? If he was caught at the restaurant, wouldn't that be the last place the children would be? Did they search the building? Did they search the suspect's known safehouses? Mike wondered if they even tried at all. They seemed too busy cleaning the place and convincing people to come back.

" _ **It's a tragedy."**_ The article quoted. Mike couldn't help but scoff at it.

"No shit." He remarked, shocked by the lack of words from the company.

 **Local pizzeria threatened with shutdown over sanitation.**

It just got worse with each word. Reanimated carcasses? Blood and mucus? How did this restaurant manage a reopening after this? Why did parents want to take their children to something like this? It was awful!

 **Local pizzeria said to close by year's end.**

Well, that answered his question. He wondered what got them to reopen, though. Albert said that the new restaurant had been open for less than a year. Even if it was reopened with a lower budget, who in their right mind gave them the money and consent to reopen such a restaurant? How could the parents agree to reopening a business that cost them their child's life?

He thought back to what Albert had told him; they just wanted to move on. Maybe he was over thinking this all...The whole incident just shocked him to the core. After such a tragedy and after such terrible quality, who would such a place reopened with a _lower_ budget? He hated to say it, but he thought it was an accident just waiting to happen.

"Mike!"

Mike whirled around in his desk chair when the lights suddenly flipped on and there stood Shelbi, one of the two cousins he was currently staying with. A frown was plastered on her dark red lips and her arms crossed tight against her chest.

"Jesus Christ, Shel! You nearly gave me a damn heart attack." Mike mumbled in response, quickly deleting the articles and opening a new, fresh tab.

"You said you were looking for jobs, Mike. What're you doing in here with all the lights off...and headphones." Shelbi asked suspectedly as she noticed the headphones wrapped around her cousin's neck. Her look of annoyance quickly turned into one of curious disgust.

"...Browsing..." He claimed hesitantly, exiting out of the browser and brought his search to an end.

Shelbi leaned against the doorframe and arched a brow. "Dude...Mason and I let you camp out in here until you could stand on your own feet, not so you can watch porn in the dark without worrying about a bunch of little kids running in."

Mike blushed a deep, crimson red and glared up at his younger cousin. "I wasn't watching porn, Shelbi. Jesus, who do you think I am?"

"I know about what happened back home, Mike. I may be the little cousin, but I'm not a kid anymore. Look, forget about all that. I know you've been pretty alienated from everyone back home; that's the reason Mason and I let you live with us. We grew up together and I know you still have a good future lined up for you, but we're not just gonna let you sit here and use us too, okay? Even if it's a shit job, you gotta find one. A _real_ job." Shelbi answered with a softer tone. She knew his past was a sensitive subject.

Mike ran a hand through his dark brown hair and sighed. "I know, Shelbi. I'm trying, you know...I wanna change."

Shelbi wanted to run over and embrace him with a tight, comforting hug, but resisted. She promised her older brother, Mason, that she wouldn't get so attached to their cousin. They loved him, but he was too unpredictable. "I know, Mike. I believe you."

It was quiet between them as the atmosphere got thick and awkward. He hated these moments. He thought he left all that behind him when he left home. As she turned to leave, Shelbi looked over her shoulder and sent him a half-hearted grin. "You know, if you're desperate enough, Mason said you should check out that kid's place, Freddy's. He said they're insanely desperate to find someone to take the night shift. Not a lot of people want to because of that bogus myth running around, but you should check it out. Just ignore the bullshit around town. There's nothing to be afraid of. The only thing creepy about that place are the god-awful songs they sing." Then she disappeared behind the door.

Mike rolled his eyes at his cousin's suggestion, but a part of him wondered if she was right. Albert himself said it was just a myth, something parents or bullies used against little kids. Maybe he was over reacting to this all. Maybe the restaurant wasn't really that bad?

Drumming his fingers against the desktop, Mike pondered his options. He was desperate...How hard could it be to watch a kid's pizza place?

* * *

"C'mon, Em, don't you think you're over reacting?" A man with dark brown hair and baby blue eyes questioned, leaning against the side of the car.

Emaley shoved her things into the trunk of the car and glared up at her acquaintance. "No, I don't."

"You're the only one obsessing over this. They closed the case _years_ ago! It's been over for a long time." The man pressed again, stepping closer to her and placing a hand on the lip of the opened trunk.

"Just cause it's over doesn't mean it's done, Braden." Emaley responded stubbornly with an aggravated tone. She was tired of people treating her like she was insane.

Braden rolled his eyes and took a step closer to her. "That makes no sense...C'mon, Emaley, you're driving yourself crazy with all of this. I'm just trying to help you; it's my job. We're friends, right?"

Emaley scoffed at the question. "From your perspective or mine?"

Braden stood up straight and crossed his arms. "C'mon, Emaley, don't be so callous."

Slamming the trunk shut, Emaley pressed her palms against the trunk and squinted against the evening sun. "What are you doing here, Braden? I never asked for you. I never asked you to be my friend."

Braden visibly softened at her words and grinned sympathetically. "You didn't have to ask, Em." He replied sweetly and placed a hand on top of hers.

The sweet moment didn't last long. She immediately retracted her hand from his and started towards the driver's side. "Don't be disgusting, Holt." She murmured, calling him by his last name.

Normally, this would be considered rude or even ungrateful. Most people called him crazy for trying so hard to befriend someone who rejected him daily. Maybe he was, but he couldn't find himself able to stop. Someone had to try, right?

"Okay, Carter, then you tell me how to help you. How about that?" He countered, following a step behind her.

Emaley, standing in between her opened car door and the car seat, spun around and faced him. "Stop telling me how to live my life would be a good start." She spit with a scowl, resting an arm on the car door.

Braden didn't even blink an eye at her verbal attack and grinned. "Okay, then I'll stop. What about after that?"

Her expression softened as she scanned him cautiously. For years, people had constantly told her that she shouldn't be doing what she was doing. She shouldn't act the way she was acting. She shouldn't hurt the way she hurt. Like her form of grief was the wrong way just because it was different from everyone else's. "You could help me. It'd be nice to have an extra hand in research."

Braden sighed at this. He would help this woman with _anything..._ but this. "Emaley...you know I'd do anything for you, but..."

Emaley growled and shook her head. "Then why bother asking, Braden? You know what, I got things I need to do. I'll see you tomorrow." She mumbled, waving him off, and turned to get in her car.

Braden grabbed her arm, though, and pulled her back. "No, Emaley, wait! I wanna help you...but in a different way. I can't help you search, but...I can listen. Would that help? Listening?" He suggested desperately. He couldn't just let her go...He couldn't.

Emaley thought this over as she absentmindedly played with her keys. It would be nice to have someone to talk to, to tell her plans and findings to. She had Edgar Allan, on occasion, but he never had much input. "Are you really gonna listen?"

Braden smiled at his small victory. It was a baby step, but a step all the same. "Yeah, I will! I won't say anything negative...Or I won't say anything at all, if that's what you want."

Emaley sighed and looked up at him, skeptical about opening up to him. Her search was a sensitive topic and Edgar Allan was the only person she confided in...She blushed at the realization behind such a statement. Edgar Allan wasn't even a person...She needed at least one human to confide in; herself and the cat wasn't healthy.

"I saw him...I could've sworn I saw him at Pirate Cove today, Braden. When I went over there, I saw _this_ peeking out of the curtain." She finally exclaimed, a bright, genuine smile plastered on her pale features. Digging in her pant pocket, she pulled out her latest finding.

Braden watched skeptically as she pulled a plush toy that had been shoved and stuffed into her pocket. Emaley pushed it towards him, proud of her latest discovery, and he took it cautiously. He didn't see the big deal about it like she did. One of the kids probably won it from the prize corner and forgot it on Foxy's stage in Pirate Cove. "Um...Em, are you absolutely sure this is some kind of clue...or something."

Already aggravated, Emaley snatched the plushie from his hands. Braden feared he had easily triggered her anger and lost his only opportunity, but she surprised him. Instead of turning around and leaving him in the parking lot, Emaley flipped the plushie around and held it out by his foot. She didn't say a word as he read the marking on its foot.

"J. R. M...Okay...I can see that this is different...how?" Braden questioned hesitantly. It was obvious it belonged to someone, but he didn't quite understand its importance still.

Emaley turned pale. She hadn't said _his_ name in years. If she wanted to prove her case, she was going to have to say his name, but how? It felt so wrong, so painful. Like she wasn't allowed to even speak his name anymore. Yet, she wasn't going to go anywhere, nor was she going to get Braden's support if she didn't say his name. Gulping loudly, she looked down at the cracked blacktop of the parking lot. "It's his full name...J...J-J-Jackson...Jackson Ray McKenzie..."

Braden perked at the mention of her young son's name and stiffened remembering the tragedy that took place so many years ago. The whole town was haunted by such a traumatic experience. "How...How did it get there?"

"That's just the thing, I have no idea. Maybe I was just seeing things when I thought I saw him at Pirate Cove, but this right here," she paused to grab the plushie and traced a finger over the initials. "This is real. You believe me, right? You don't think I'm crazy, right?"

He wasn't necessarily sure what he thought about all of this. There was no denying that seeing Jackson's plush toy back at Pirate Cove was worth looking into, but it was the only thing he really found compelling in her entire case. He just wanted her to stop her mad search and devote her time in something more healthy.

"There's no denying that this isn't worthy of looking into, but-" He started, holding out a hand defensively, as if preparing for some kind of blow.

Emaley scoffed and her jaw locked, interrupting his statement with her disapproval.

"But, I still can't get into this, Emaley. You shouldn't either." Braden continued softly, careful not to upset her.

It didn't take much to upset her though. "I knew it! Dammit, I knew it! I knew I couldn't trust you!" She exclaimed, pushing him away from her and turning back to her car.

Braden, again, reached out and held her back, begging her to listen to him. "Emaley, please! Stop! I'm just trying to help you! At least listen to my advice, dammit!"

Emaley slacked in his grasp and peeked over her shoulder. Most people never offered her to just listen. Usually, it was them trying to set her straight, tell her what she should be doing. She supposed she could at least listen to him, just this once.

Braden picked up on this and immediately stated his case before she could think otherwise. "Emaley, I'm only saying all of this because I care about you. You're the only parent who seems to still be glued on the Missing Children Incident from years ago. Yes, something does need to be done about it. Yes, the case should've been more thorough. Yes, you're right on everything, if that's what you want to hear. It's okay to want the truth behind your son's disappearance, but the way you're coming about it is unhealthy. All the other families are moving on. Hell, some of them have even had another kid after all of this." He started, but never got to really finish after that last sentence.

"So, is that what you're saying, Braden? That if I go and screw the first guy that's willing to get me pregnant then all of my troubles will go away? That replacing _him_ will be the cure to everything? That I'd go back to the person I was overnight? That's bullshit!" She shouted, forcefully pushing him away from her again.

Braden tried to calm her down as people nearby started to peek over at their heated discussion. She wasn't having it though and slapped him across the face when he got too close.

Emaley, shaken up by her attack, stepped away from Braden as he immediately cupped his face, equally shocked. She did it again...She hurt someone that was just trying to help her...What kind of person was she?! She didn't deserve Braden's friendship...Why was he still here? She had to leave. She had to leave far from this establishment and sleep away the horror. Sure, she'd have to return the next day, but at least she could escape it for a couple of years and drown herself in research.

Turning away from him for the last time, Braden shocked her by speaking to her again. "John wouldn't want you like this." This had no real effect to her since she still crawled into her car. "Jackson would be disappointed to see you like this." He tried again.

Every muscle and joint locked into place hearing his name come from Braden's lips. She knew what he was saying was truth, but she didn't like hearing it come from him. They had met through their jobs at Freddy's and this was almost two years after the incident at the restaurant. He never knew her and he especially didn't know her young son. Before slamming the car door shut and driving away, Emaley looked back at Braden through her sideview mirror.

"Don't ever say my son's name again, you son of a bitch."

And with that, she was gone. Braden stood in the parking lot of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, watching her drive away. He felt like he lost her, but he knew he didn't. She was going to come back tomorrow, she had to unlock the restaurant and let him out at 6 a.m. He'd have another chance at persuading her out of her desperate search for the truth tomorrow. After all, tomorrow is another day.

* * *

 **Hey, a new character. So, what do you guys think of Braden? I was kind of on the fence about adding him, but I'm glad I went with my gut. I like him and I hope you guys will too!**

 **Also, what do you think about Mike so far? I know everyone has different expectations and opinions about Mike since the game gives you no information about him, but I hope I can satisfy everyone with my take on him!**

 **Okay, I think that's it. Please review and thank you, for the umpteenth time, for stopping by and reading! I love you all!**


	6. Chapter 3: Please Leave A Message

**Hello, hello! So sorry for the delay! My life's been kinda hectic lately. School, visiting relatives in the hospital, a funeral, and even more drama. But, I was looking through this and realized I needed to put out at least one update for you all. So, here it is!**

 **Thank you to everyone that reads or is still reading this story! A big thank you to all those that reviewed last time, too!**

* * *

Emaley sat in the corner of the living room again and stared at the wall in front of her. She couldn't stop thinking about that plushie she found while cleaning up the main floor. Emaley had packed up all of Jackson's things a year after his disappearance and when John left, he took everything. He had protested, but she refused to have them in her apartment. It killed her to have to walk past those boxes and know that all that was left of her son and his life was hidden inside the flaps of cardboard. She knew she would never open it and gain comfort in the memories accompanying those items. They deserved to go with someone that would treasure them like they should be treasured.

She regretted letting them go.

The TV was on this time, but it was nothing but the news. It was the only thing she could stand to listen to anymore. Everything seemed to remind her of _him._ Happy families in commercials taunted her. Every little thing broadcasted just seemed to toy with her guilt-ridden mind. She should get rid of it, but she had to keep it on for one more week, at the least. The local news would be covering the annual week-long memorial event and she needed to see it. There was no telling what kind of clues would be hidden beneath it all.

Emaley turned her head towards the hallway leading to her bedroom. That was where she left the plushie last. She should review all the evidence she had now. It was hard. The mere thought of standing and walking to her room seemed so difficult. It was such a small, simple toy, but it held such a power against her.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard her phone suddenly ring from the kitchen/dining area. She almost pushed herself off the ground, but remembered what time it was. She knew this call would come some time soon, but didn't want to hear it. Not now, at least. This was the last thing she wanted to think about tonight.

After about five rings, the caller was sent to her answering machine and Emaley tried her hardest to block it out, but failed.

" _Hey, Emaley, sweetheart...It's me! Um, your mother. I know that...that you probably won't pick up, but I still wanted to call...Emaley...Please, just give us a chance! I know what I did to you was...wrong. I should've never made you...It's your father and I's greatest regret, baby...I, um, looked at the calendar this morning and saw that the memorial week was getting close and I've been thinking about this message all day. Emaley, we want to be there for you...We miss you, sweetheart...A mother should be there for her daughter when...Well, I suppose I haven't been a real mother to you...Emaley, please, please! Give me a second chance! To make things right! Emaley, please just-"_

She didn't get to finish her pleading rant as the answering machine cut her off. She wouldn't call back to finish it either. She only left the one message. She used to leave several, but she was smart enough to realize that Emaley was never going to pick up. She still tried ever year. She had to give it to her persistence. Maybe that was where she got hers...

Emaley hid her face in her hands and groaned. She couldn't think about her right now! She couldn't think about her betrayal. If she wanted someone to cry in her arms, she should call John. She wasn't going to crawl back to her, no matter the situation.

Standing up, Emaley brushed it aside and went to her bedroom to review the evidence she had.

* * *

"So, Mr. Schmidt, do you have any questions for us?"

Mike resisted the urge to run his hand through his neatly-combed hair and smiled. "I don't suppose."

Mr. Ackerman returned his smile and stood, straightening his suit jacket and tie. "Well, I have one more for you."

Mike gulped and grinned nervously. "What's that...sir?"

"Can you start Monday?"

"Does this mean I got the job?"

"It does if you say yes..."

"Well, then, yes! Monday's perfect!"

Mr. Ackerman chuckled heartily and offered him a handshake. Mike stretched across the desk and firmly shook his hand, a beaming smile on his features.

"Braden Holt will be there to show you everything that afternoon and will present you with some documents that need to be signed. Just official, mandatory papers. No big deal. That night, Emaley Carter will be there to lock you in and let you out in the morning. With your experience, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it real quick. Since that week will be the week of the memorial thing you shouldn't be too overwhelmed. We don't usually get a lot of business that week and nobody, usually, tries to mess with the restaurant at night. It'll be the perfect warm-up week for you!" Mr. Ackerman explained as he crossed his desk and met Mike again face-to-face.

Mike nodded as he processed this new information. His heart quickened at the mention of the woman would be letting him in and out at the start and end of his shift. He still remembered his last encounter with her and fought the urge to blush. He only hoped she didn't remember him creepily staring at her as she walked out of her apartment.

"Thank you, sir. You have no idea how happy I am to have this opportunity." Mike thanked him with a smile and shook his hand again, immediately feeling embarrassed when he remembered they already shook hands just seconds before.

"You're welcome, son. Remember to keep that smile even late at night. You're the face of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza now." Mr. Ackerman winked reciting the old employee motto.

Mike just grinned and Mr. Ackerman led him to the door and Mike walked out of the small office building.

Outside, Mike finally gave into the urge and ran both hands through his slicked-back hair. Sighing, he thought about how atrocious his interview really was. He was a stuttering mess and started every sentence with an "uh" or "um." Shelbi was right. They must be desperate for someone to take the night shift if they really thought he was the best choice. He wasn't complaining though. At least he was going to have a steady job.

Leaning against his car, he thought about how next week was going to go. This Braden Holt must be the current night guard if he's going to show him how to handle the reigns. He wondered what influenced him to take on this job, but quickly shut that down. He was probably in it for the same reason he was. He couldn't understand Emaley's involvement with the place though.

Her son was possibly murdered in the restaurant that previously stood here and was even the same company. Why would she possibly want to work here? He thought the parents that still lived in the area were brave, but what about this one that worked for the same company that a killer/kidnapper used as his hunting ground? It didn't make sense. There had to be some kind of deeper meaning. No one choses to work here just for the fun of it. They all have a better goal in mind that this place will jumpstart them to.

Mike sighed again and glanced down at his watch. He was supposed to be meeting Mason and Shelbi for dinner and was already ten minutes late. He was supposed to tell them how the interview went and he imagined they'd be overjoyed at the news. It was, honestly, a crap job with crap pay, but it was something. That was their only goal for him at the moment.

Now, he had his job and he'd be moving into his apartment sometime next week. Things were finally going right for him. It was about time.

* * *

Emaley stood in front of a corkboard in her bedroom and glowered at it. There were so many different puzzle pieces that just wouldn't fit! She had so many bits of information about that fateful day, but at the same time, it all seemed irrelevant. What was the truth? Which one was an actual lead to go on? With every new piece of evidence, it just made the mystery even more unsolvable. She could sit there for hours with possible theories but still be far off. It was getting old!

Edgar Allan sat on the edge of her bed and purred contently while she groaned and muttered under her breath. He always seemed to be happier and more peaceful when she was going over evidence. He seemed to rest easily in a tense environment. He was a strange creature.

She was glad it was the weekend. She would have more time to look over her case before work Monday morning. Braden told her earlier today that Mr. Ackerman had scheduled an interview with someone today to take over Braden's shift. Tonight was his last night and Monday morning, he'd start the day shift. She wasn't sure why he had a sudden change of heart. Braden loved night shift.

He had worked the night shift for years and never complained about the confusing hours. He even kept a normal schedule, too, and was wide awake during the day. She was starting to wonder if he ever slept. Maybe he dozed off during night shift. Who knows? That was going to change Monday morning, so she supposed her old theories of her only friend didn't matter anymore.

She started to think about her last conversation with him. Maybe she shouldn't have snapped at him. He wasn't being unreasonable. All he said was that he didn't want to get involved with her wild goose chase. Admittedly, she couldn't entirely blame him. If you had told her six years ago that she'd be living alone in a cheap apartment desperately seeking the truth of a case that was closed years ago, she would've called the police to escort you back to whatever mental facility you came from. Still, all she wanted was help.

Braden was her last hope, but it seemed like she'd be really going this alone. Though she spoke so cruelly to him and made fun of his attempts of comfort, she did think of him as a friend. Now, she feared she lost the one friend she had left. Perhaps she should call him? Apologize for her remark and beg him to help her, even if he may say no in the end. At least no one could say she wasn't persistent. She was her mother's daughter, after all...

As if sensing her thoughts, her phone rang again. She thought about picking it up, since she knew she wouldn't be expecting another phone call from her for another month, but decided to let the machine get it. If it was really important, they'd leave a message and she'd have enough time to get to it.

After another set of rings and then the machine. She was surprised whose voice came from the machine, though.

 _"Hey, Emaley, it's me, Braden. I know you probably don't wanna talk to me right now and I understand. I just wanted to say I'm sorry that I can't help you and that I made you so mad. I wanna make up for that, though. Meet with me tonight and I'll explain everything in detail, if you want. I'll come early to wait for you."_

He hung up after that and Emaley was left to ponder. How could he possibly make up for not agreeing to help her? There was nothing else she wanted besides someone to join her investigation. He should know that. If he wasn't going to join her, then she didn't care.

Yet, she couldn't get it off her mind. What did her friend have hidden up his sleeve? She was required to lock him in tonight, so she couldn't just not go. She was going to face him regardless if she wanted to hear his proposal or not. Besides, she could use having her friend back. At least she'd have someone to talk to, right?

Sighing, Emaley slumped down on her bed and looked over at Edgar Allan. The coal black cat didn't even stir as she reached over to stroke his thick coat. He wasn't a real affectionate creature. Maybe it was why they got along so well now.

"What should I do, EA?" She asked the pet desperately as she laid down beside him. Edgar Allan stood up and hopped off the bed, leaving her alone in her room.

"Thanks, real encouraging!" Emaley rolled her eyes at the rude feline and rolled over on her back.

She supposed she'd have to settle this on her own. Just like every other night.

* * *

 **Well, well, well...Things are really happening for our characters so far. What do you think about the messages? What did Emaley's mother do to her that was so wrong? What do you think Braden's proposal is? What about Mike? How do you think he's going to fare with this new job?**

 **Please review! It would make my week! Thank you, again, for reading and your continued support!**


	7. Chapter 4: Funny

**Hello all! I wanted to get something out sooner, but something came up. Last Friday night (on 9/11, not last night) I lost a man I considered my "adopted" father. It was completely and totally unexpected. It was a stroke and less than a day later he was declared brain dead. My heart is absolutely shattered losing him, but I know he wouldn't want me to just stop what I do. What I love to do. So, I must apologize if the work this time around isn't of amazing quality. I wanted to get something out for you amazing people!**

 **So, here we go.**

* * *

Emaley stood outside the restaurant, glaring at the sign hanging over the entrance of the building. The animated characters smiled warmly, alluring any excited children and reluctant parents that happen to drive by. She hated that sign. She hated everything about that restaurant. Yet, here she was. All day and every day throughout the week. Even on the weekends, she let in the night guards that worked weekends. It was the place that she truly loathed, yet it was her life.

Funny how life turns out.

Glancing down at her watch, Emaley huffed a breath and resisted the urge to growl. Braden said he would be there early, but he was nowhere to be seen. His version of early was the complete opposite of hers, obviously. She still didn't know what he had planned for her tonight. In all honesty, she didn't care. All she wanted was someone to join her on her journey for the truth. Anything outside of that one request did nothing for her.

It was almost closing time. Where was he? She didn't care about the surprise he had for her now; he was going to be late for his shift if he didn't hurry up! He was the only friend she had at the restaurant. The last thing she wanted was for him to lose his job. Who else would she rant to?

 _Your mother._

Her breath caught in the back of her throat at the thought. She still had her mother, but she couldn't crawl back to her! Every time she thought of her mother, she felt betrayal. Rejection. That was before she crossed the line. She grew up around it her entire life, her mother and father always trying to turn her into something she wasn't. Sometimes, she thought of her mother's betrayal as the best day of her life. She would never go back to her.

 _What about John?_

Her stomach flipped at the thought. John. The man she thought she was going to spend forever with, even when she was just a little girl. She grew up with him, got pregnant, had a child, and got married to him. An entire lifetime shared with one person. It all ended with one person, too. The mere thought was draining. She couldn't think about that.

Fortunately for her, a familiar little, black truck pulled into the parking lot. With a sigh of relief from her inner turmoil, she crossed the parking lot to meet him. She didn't care what the surprise was now; she just wanted something to take away her previous thoughts.

Braden crawled out of the cab of the trunk in his usual uniform -a long-sleeved, navy blue button-up with a Freddy Fazbear's logo on the right collarbone, black slacks, a pair of black work boots, and a cap that has "security" printed on it in bold- and greeted her with a smile.

"Didn't think you'd actually show up. Glad you did, though." Braden chuckled with a toothy grin as he strode over, a bag slung over his shoulder.

Emaley arched a brow at the new accessory but ignored it, for now. "Speak for yourself. I thought you said you were gonna come early! Your shift's about to start soon."

Braden glanced down at his watched and flashed a crooked grin. "Not for another ten minutes. C'mon, you know that's a record for me." He teased with a flirtatious wink.

Emaley ignored the wink and rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Don't tell me you made me sit out here for an hour just so you could show me your new purse." She mocked, bringing the mysterious bag to attention. Braden never brought something with him that didn't relate to work.

"You've been out here for an hour?" He questioned, cocking his head to the right.

"Braden! The bag!"

"Oh, yeah, the bag." Delicately flipping back the flap, Braden reached inside and carefully maneuvered a small camcorder from deep within. Working his hand into the strap, Braden showed off the new treasure and grinned.

"A camcorder? You really brought me out here for that?" Emaley gawked at the thing, wondering why she was supposed to be thrilled about that.

It was Braden's turn to roll his eyes. "It's not about it being mine, it's about what I'm going to do with it."

Emaley just shook her head and dug through her pockets, looking for the keys to the main entrance. "Braden, I'm sure it'll be great, but I'm really not interested in another of your attempts at filmmaking. I told you that the last time you made me wear that hideous bow on my ass." She complained and started towards the entrance.

Braden was one step ahead of her though. Clutching the precious camcorder to his chest, he ran out in front of her and blocked her path. "No, Em, it's not that again. You were right about the filmmaking. Everybody ain't Hitchcock. I didn't bring this to make anything. At least, not of the entertainment kind."

Emaley stopped in her tracks. He had her attention now. "What're you talking about, Braden?"

Braden flashed another crooked grin at her before delving into his explanation. "That's what I called you about. Like I've said before, I can't help you find out what happened here six years ago, but I want to help you in some way. After you showed me that plushie and since you left, I couldn't stop thinking about the restaurant and the animatronics. I'm going to record my shift tonight. I know it's going to help you. I want it to." He revealed gently, reaching out and cupping a hand around her wrist. He wasn't brave enough to try to touch her hand again.

Emaley glanced down at the hand around her wrist and resisted the urge to slink away from his touch. She wouldn't be rude to him two nights in a row. "You're going to record your shift?"

"Yeah, to show you what goes on at night. You've been asking, so I decided it's time that I gave you an answer. Knowing you, you wouldn't believe anything I would just tell you, so I decided to show you." Braden replied with a grin and glanced down at his camcorder.

She had to admit, it was a brilliant idea. He was right, she would never believe a single word spoken without seeing it with her own eyes. This would be the only way to really have the truth she's wanted for so long. At least, the truth behind the local legend.

"You're right. I wouldn't believe you. This is the way it needs to be done." She paused for a moment and looked at the cracked pavement under her feet. With a scoff, she continued. "Why didn't you tell me you were so smart?"

Braden rolled his eyes and chuckled with her. "I tried, but you were too damn stubborn."

The two laughed for a moment until silence fell amongst them. It was only getting later the more they stood there. His shift would start any second now and he needed to be inside. She never felt such reluctance to let him inside than she did right now. Perhaps it was irrational fear of the unknown? She wasn't sure, but there was no time for it. They both had questions that needed answers.

Emaley stepped away from him to unlock the door with familiar ease then turned back to Braden, one hand wrapped tightly around the door handle. "You ready?"

Braden glanced down at his camcorder, flipped the screen out, and looked back up at her with an uncertain grin. "Not like it really matters, right?"

Emaley chuckled and stepped aside to give him space to walk through the door. Braden reached for the flashlight hanging at his hip -he would need it later when he shut off the main lights- and looked back at Emaley. "'Morning, Em."

"Goodnight, Braden."

* * *

Mason stood outside the 24-hour convenience store with Mike at his side. Shelbi was still inside arguing with one at the employees at the register about the way they stacked their displays. She was such the perfectionist. It was annoying.

Mason drowned out the sounds of Shelbi's complaints and the stuttering replies of the employee and took a drag of his cigarette. "So, you really gonna take that job? Don't they hack up night guards like you there?"

Mike waved the smoke away from his face before turning to face his cousin. "I thought you didn't believe bullshit like that, dude. You were the one that recommended it."

Mason chuckled and brought the cigarette to his lips again. "I don't. Just surprised you wanted it. You were always the superstitious one, little cousin."

Mike rolled his eyes at his cousin's statement, even if it was true. Mason and other cousins use to tease him mercilessly growing up because of his superstitious fear of the unknown. It always intrigued him, when he was older that is, and he had dreamed once to devote his time into studying it.

Funny how life turns out.

Mike bit on the inside of his cheek, punishing himself for thinking about that again. He didn't realize how hard the moving on step of this new life would be. He couldn't wait to start his new job and start this new chapter in his life. He thought he deserved as much. Then again, it was hard to imagine he deserved anything after the things he and his so-called friends did.

His thoughts vanished as a new car pulled into the parking lot, driving past the gas station and parked. He didn't think too much of it until the driver stepped out and slung a bag over their shoulder.

"Emaley?" He muttered, arching a brow.

Mason perked at this and followed his cousin's line of sight. Mike expected some kind of taunt or chuckle, but he surprised him with silence. Mason stomped out his cigarette and stuffed his hands deep into his pockets.

Emaley didn't seem to notice them until she came up to the door and glanced over at Mike. Recognition flashed across her features and she paused to take it in. It took a moment, but she remembered him.

"You know, if stalking is your next step after terrifyingly staring at me walk out of my apartment, you're doing an awful job." She smirked, placing a hand on her hip and cocked a brow.

Mason snorted while Mike blushed a deep shade of red. Running a hand through his already messy hair, he stood straight and did his best to send her a friendly smile. It must not have looked as nice as he wanted it to considering she furrowed her eyebrows in disgust after. "No, ma'am, I'm not stalking you. I just, um, was shocked by you...is all." He finally answered nervously.

Again, Mason snorted at Mike's answer and turned from the two. Emaley took a step closer towards them, letting others go through the door, and craned her head back by an inch to look up at him. "Shocked?"

"I mean it in the best way possible, really! It's just, you were different from the others I saw. Sad. I was worried." Mike replied honestly, hoping to stir something within her. He didn't really expect any response, though. Even if he knew a lot about her already, they were still strangers. There was still so much about her that the media and news didn't show.

Emaley's face softened the tiniest bit, but she didn't let it last long before restructuring a glare on her pale, delicate features. "You're new here, aren't you? I bet that tour guide filled you all in, didn't he? It's all the same from people like you! 'Oh, poor little Emaley!' or 'What you went through was so tragic, Ms. Carter.' How about y'all mind your own damn business?" She growled, making her way to the door.

Mason imitated a buzzer noise as Mike chased after her and stopped her hasty escape by gently grabbing her wrist. "Wait, please! Mr. Hemmingway did nothing wrong, it's not his fault! I made him tell me, he didn't want to." He knew it wasn't entirely true, but he didn't care. He wasn't going to have their first conversation end like that. After all, they were going to work together soon. He made to make things right before they were dreadfully awkward.

Emaley sighed and nibbled on her lip. "I believe Mr. Hemmingway is a grown man and can make his own decisions. He wouldn't let some stranger just tell him what to do."

"So, you two did know each other?"

"We were neighbors once, yes. I didn't know him as well as others did."

"Like your husband?"

Emaley stiffened at the words. How much did her old neighbor really tell him? She didn't want to find out. "Word to the wise, don't mention the past around here. It's a pretty touchy subject."

Mike nodded. He understood. The past wasn't exactly what he wanted to delve into either. He wasn't going to make someone else do that. Instead, he stretched out his arm and offered her a handshake. Before she could question his motives, he smiled and explained. "We haven't officially met."

Emaley arched a brow and resisted the urge to grin. She had to give it to him, he sure knew how to dodge a bullet. "You already know my name. In this town, it doesn't take very long for newcomers." She replied darkly.

Mike just grinned warmly. "True, but you struck me as someone who doesn't let things consume or control you. Figured you would've liked an actual introduction more than people talking behind their back."

Emaley couldn't resist anymore. She smiled. Maybe she misjudged him. "I'm Emaley. Emaley Carter." She introduced herself and firmly shook his hand. She easily noticed the callouses, but was surprised at the softness of his skin. He was obviously no stranger to work, but at the same time, it was like he hadn't touched a single tool in his life. It was nice.

"Mike Schmidt. Your new neighbor." Mike introduced with a smile, hinting at his new apartment.

"Neighbor?"

"Yeah, I'm taking the apartment a couple doors down from you. Looks like we'll be seeing a lot more of each other from now on." He explained with a knowing grin.

Emaley scoffed. "You're a really bad stalker, you know that?" She teased accusingly and broke their exchange by walking towards the door.

"I'm not a stalker!"

"Whatever!"

Then the glass door interrupted their brief exchange. Mike watched her walk through the aisles of snacks and junk food before disappearing. Grinning, he blushed as he turned back to his cousin who had lit another cigarette that was now hanging from the corner of his lip.

"The hell was that?" He questioned breathlessly, glancing back in the direction Emaley had disappeared.

"What was what?"

Mason furrowed his brow and took another drag of his cigarette. Eventually, he just shook his head and moved on. "Whatever. Just, go wait by the car. I'll go drag Shelbi outta the place before she burns it to the ground."

Mike chuckled and peered through the glass door. Shelbi was out numbered now that the employee had called in backup to sort this argument out. It was time for one of them to drag her out of there. "Okay, good luck with that."

As Mason strode towards the mess with his sister and the employees, Mike peeked in one last time as he watched Emaley snatch two bags of candy, Twizzlers to be exact, and looked around her before bringing one of the bags to her nose, like she was trying to smell the licorice candy inside its plastic wrapping. He arched a brow, but looked away when he thought that she was going to catch him.

One thing he was sure of tonight, Emaley Carter was one strange, yet interesting, girl.

* * *

 **Ending note, I want to apologize for such short chapters. I didn't realize I was cutting them kind of short until lately, but hopefully, they should get longer as the story continues to progress. We're just now getting into the good stuff ;)**

 **Thank you all so, so, so much for reading and reviewing! It means so much to me! With that said, don't forget to review! They help me through rough writing blocks and inspire me to keep writing for you guys!**


	8. Chapter 5: Dream or Reality?

**Hello all! I know, it's been a while! I apologize for the delay! Life has been...well, very chaotic lately and I never seem to have time to even concentrate on my stories! Hopefully, though, things are starting to slow down. At least for a while. So, a big yay for all of us, a longer chapter! Another yay, we should be getting into the actual Five Nights in a couple of chapters! Once we get into the Nights, that's when all the good stuff happens! I'm SO excited to get into that! **

**Also, this chapter wouldn't be possible without the inspiration of a song! This one was actually inspired by a fanmade song. Dream Your Dream by TryHardNinja inspired this whole chapter and was a huge help in writing it! It's kinda perfect too because it really sets the mood for what I have in store for this story!**

* * *

"Believe nothing that you hear and only one half that you see..."

-Edgar Allan Poe

 _"Jackson! Jackson, where are you!"_

 _She was running aimlessly, desperately searching for her missing boy. The restaurant was dark except for one room in the far back. Light dimly illuminated from under the crack of the door._

 _All around her, the soft hum of a melody haunted her as she shrieked for her little son in the terrifying place of fun. She knew the tune, but she refused to focus on it. It threatened to steer her away from her objective._

 _'Please, don't take my sunshine away…'_

 _"Stop!" She screamed covering her ears with her balled fists as tears started to pool. It was all too much. Who knew such a simple, innocent song could bring so much turmoil and agony._

 _"MAMA!"_

 _Emaley skid to a halt. The most hideous, blood-curdling scream came from the lit, closed-off room. Even worse, it was Jackson. She knew his voice from anywhere, even if it was soaked in complete and utter terror._

 _"Mama's coming, Jackson!" She screamed after him and set off in a sprint. She pushed forward as much as her legs could. Her efforts seemed useless, though. No matter how hard she pressed on, she didn't get a step closer to the room._

 _"MAMA, SAVE ME!"_

 _Tears began to pour as she tripped over one of the chairs in the main floor, collapsing to the polished tile with a loud thud. She couldn't see what she fell into, but it was something wet and warm. It covered her hands, arms, legs, and torso. That didn't matter though._

 _"I'm trying, baby! Just hold on!" Emaley wiped the sticky liquid from her eyes and pushed on. Suddenly, and fortunately, she realized she was getting closer to the door. It was going to work! She was going to save her baby!_

 _When she approached the door, she yanked on the doorknob and cursed when it refused to budge. In complete desperation, she began pounding on the door and throwing all her body weight onto it in hopes of breaking it down. Yet, it was like she never touched it. The door made no sounds and nothing seemed to shift or shake with her hasty movements._

 _"MAMA, PLEASE! SAVE ME!"_

 _Suddenly, the lights flashed on and she was temporarily blinded by them. The same sticky goop that had caught her fall from earlier was back on the floor and she found herself falling back into it when she tried to run away from the bright light._

 _As her eyes adjusted to the light, she started to pick up shapes and colors. The sticky, annoying goop that she figured was spilled soda was nothing that she expected._

 _Her old, favorite white blouse was nearly unrecognizable from the blood she was covered in. Her pale skin was dark now as the flashing, colorful party lights engulfed her in a terrifying trance. Her hands shook as her mind slowly started to comprehend what was going on._

 _A shadow loomed over her and forced her to look away from the horror she was covered in. In her state of mind, she couldn't make out any apparent details of the form, but she knew who it was._

 _It made no sounds as it stretched out its arms and it was only then that she saw it was carrying something. As she studied it carefully, she realized it wasn't carrying something but someone. Someone she didn't want to find. Not like this._

 _She was frozen in fear. She wanted to scream, but couldn't find her voice. It was like she was just a mere spectator in this cruel game. Without warning, the shadowy figure dropped the little body in front of her._

 _She realized now that this little body was the source of all the blood on the floor. With her whole body quivering in fear, she squirmed over to the body and pushed the hair from their bloody face._

 _She couldn't hold it back now. She manically crawled away from the body, releasing a blood-curdling scream as she did so. It was him…Her Jackson…She was too late. The shadowy figure made his presence known again and confirmed her fears._

 _"You can't."_

Emaley woke with a start, still screaming from the nightmare. Quickly, she clamped a hand over her mouth and stared off into the darkness surrounding her. For a moment, she thought she was still in the dream and tried to stand and run, but something glued her to her place.

She remembered now as she ran her fingers over the seatbelt strapped securely across her chest. It was almost 6 a.m. She was here to let Braden out from his shift. She, obviously, fell asleep while waiting. Her heat still beat rapidly against her chest as she tried to calm down after her frightening start.

That voice. She could've sworn she had heard it before. Her memory was fuzzy, but she knew she had heard it. It was recently, too. The voice was a masculine one and she only knew few men in her life. If it was someone from her small circle of friends, why would she hear it in her dream? Why would they be voicing the man holding her son's lifeless body?

An annoying alarm sounded from the passenger seat before she could really investigate it, though. It was 6:05. Braden's probably back there beating on the door waiting for her. Rubbing her exhaustion from her face, she threw her bag over her shoulder and stepped out of the car.

The morning sun lazily peeked over the building as she strode down the parking lot, leaving everything in its path in a glimmering, orange shield. She used to love mornings. She would always grab a cup of coffee and watch the world around her slowly awaken. Now, it was just another sunrise. Nothing new, nothing special.

Birds chirped their morning song, welcoming another day. She wished she had their constant cheer. How nice would it be to wake up in the morning and look forward to the day. It had been a long time since she woke up excited for what the day held. Now, her mornings consisted of letting night guards escape the hell hole they all worked at. At least, it was her hell hole. Then again, the only night guard they had left was Braden and he was switching to days starting Monday.

She hated his decision to switch. He was the only person and fellow employee that she cared for. How could he abandon her and force her to work with someone new? She didn't want to start all over again. Befriending Braden was a long and unwanted task.

Yet, at the same time, she couldn't blame him. Nights ruined any social life one might have. He would complain daily about how he could never go out and do anything because of his work and sleeping schedule. Even on his days off, he couldn't accept any invites from friends because he couldn't afford to mess up his sleeping schedule. And he received many invitations from friends. Whether it was to a party or just going out to eat after a shift.  
Sometimes, she was jealous of Braden's life outside of Freddy's and herself. She wished she had someone to go to and escape reality with for a short time. After the incident, she wanted no one. She drove off many of her old friends and family. Now, she wished she had them all back. If only she had realized how agonizingly lonely she was now…

As she neared the door, she pulled out her keys and pushed those thoughts aside. Hopefully, Braden would be there with new evidence for her. She had to focus on that. Until she got this whole mess figured out, she couldn't let anything else. She had plenty of time to obtain a social life after she was given her answers.

Unlocking the door and throwing it open, she expected to see Braden waiting impatiently for her. Perhaps even cracking a joke about her tardiness. That was how it was every morning. This morning was different though. He was nowhere to be seen.

The hallway was pitch black. Something was off. Braden was always waiting for her after he switched the lights back on. This time, Braden was absent and the power hadn't been turned back on.

With a dry gulp, she clutched to the side of the door, squinting through the darkness. In the distance, she could hear faint footsteps and felt her heart beat quicken. Where was he?

"Braden….Braden?" She called out, soft at first and then raised her voice when there was no reply.

Did he already leave somehow? How could he though, she was the only one with the keys and this was the only exit he had. It was closest to the back office. Emaley glanced behind her to see if his truck was still there; it was. The little, beat up truck was parked where it was when she saw him last.

She was getting scared. All she could think about was the dream she just had. She didn't want to step inside and relive, but what if Braden was in trouble? Where were the footsteps coming from?

"Braden? If this is one of your stupid jokes, I swear to God…" She called out again, louder than last time, and the footsteps ceased. She attracted something. What that something was, she had no idea.

She waited, again, for Braden to appear, but she saw no sign of him. Maybe she should go inside and check on him? She wanted to, but couldn't find the courage to put one foot in front of the other. Not after her dream.

She decided to look through her bag for some kind of light and ended up pulling out her cellphone. When she activated the light and looked up, she found that she didn't even need it. Before she could realize who it was, she jumped and screamed when she saw someone walking towards the exit. Her first thought was the shadowy figure from her dream. She wanted to run away, call for help, or even call after Jackson, but she had to snap out of it. She was awake and this was not a dream. She had to forget about that stupid dream or it was going to consume her every thought.

As the light from her cellphone flashed over the unknown figures features, she breathed a sigh of relief and placed a hand over her rapidly-beating heart.

"You said something, Em?" Braden asked, looking down at the camcorder in his hands.

Emaley shook her head and stuffed her cellphone back into her bag, stepping to the side to let Braden out. "You scared the piss outta me, Braden."

Braden looked up from his camcorder and arched a brow. "What?"

She waved it off. "Nothing. So, what did you get?"

Braden looked up nervously and tried operating his camcorder again, but it was still dead just like it had been when he went back to his office in hopes of finding a way to charge it. "I can't show you right now."

Emaley cocked a brow this time. "What do you mean you can't show me? I can handle whatever's on there." She questioned defensively.

"I know, I know, you can. It's just that the camcorder died, like, thirty minutes ago. That's why I wasn't at the door like usual. I tried to go back and see if I could find a way to turn it on long enough to let you watch, but I didn't dig up anything."

Emaley sighed and crossed her arms. "So, what do we do now? You're gonna be asleep all day and I'll have to wait until tonight to see anything."

Braden grinned sympathetically. "I know, I'm sorry. I'll try to make a copy for you so you can watch it on your own and analyze it or whatever it is you like to do."

"Can you tell me what's on it?" Emaley asked, nearly jogging alongside him to keep up with his long strides.

Braden scoffed and looked over at Emaley with a dimpled smile. "Would you believe me even if I told you, good or bad?"

Like many times before, Emaley wanted to say yes, but it would've been a lie. "No."

Braden just chuckled. "That's what I thought."

The two continued their walk in silence until they arrived at Braden's truck. Emaley looked down at her watch; it was almost 6:15. She was shocked to find that she had waited for Braden for about ten minutes. It was weird how time worked.

Throwing his bag carefully onto the passenger seat across from him, he leaned against his opened car door and turned to Emaley. "You know, whatever you find on that video, good or bad, it's gonna be okay."

That was new for Braden. Sure, he did try to be the voice of reason for her, but he was never one to speak out like this unless provoked. Emaley was suspicious and cautious with this new side of him.

"What do you mean?" She asked hesitantly, eyebrows furrowing.

"Whatever you find on that video, good or bad, I just hope it allows you to move on, Em. You deserve that. All of the families like you do." He said sincerely, reaching out and tenderly wrapping a hand around her wrist, his thumb stroked her skin in a small, circular pattern.

This time, she didn't slink away from his touch, but welcomed it. Without another thought, she grabbed his arm and pulled him closer to her, wrapping them both in a tight hug. She was tired of fighting. Tired of pushing people away.

Braden tensed, at first, but slowly warmed up to it. His long arms gently squeezed her frame before they both stepped away. With a grin, he played with a strand of her hair.

"Who knew it would take five years to get any emotion out of you." He teased with his infamous dimpled grin.

Emaley laughed with him and started to walk back to her car, this new, yet familiar atmosphere was too much to handle. "You better be back with us night people soon, Braden. You're forcing me to socialize with a new night guard after tonight."

Braden was sitting in the cab of his truck now and chuckled. "C'mon, Em, it'll do you some good. Just don't hiss at him this time." He teased remembering the first time the two were introduced.

Emaley blushed lightly and rolled her eyes. "I did not hiss at you!"

"Whatever you say, demon."

With that, the two departed with a friendly goodbye.

* * *

Driving to her apartment, Emaley fought to keep her eyes open. It had been such a long night and all she wanted to do was sleep. Yet, at the same time, she feared sleep. She didn't want a repeat of her previous dream. The last thing she wanted was to relive such an awful nightmare and, now, memory.

She already made plans to find ways to fight sleep or keep good thoughts before she fell asleep when she pulled in and saw something out of the ordinary. A few doors down from her apartment, boxes sit out in front of the opened door and a young man was sitting outside, looking down at his cellphone.

She forgot that there was someone new moving in, but she didn't figure that to be for a while. When were the surprises going to stop today? Sighing, she crawled out of her vehicle and pulled out her set of keys.

She didn't make it to the door though. The young man slipped his phone into his pocket and was running over. Except, it wasn't a stranger. It was someone that kept forcing his way into her life. She didn't like it. Like with Braden, she wanted to choose who came into her life.

Mike jogged up to her with a welcoming grin. "Hey there, neighbor."

"Neighbor?"

Surprise flashed across his features and he cocked a brow. "Yeah, I told you last night. Remember?"

The gas station. She remembered now and sighed. "Yeah, I remember now. The stalker alerting his prey."

Mike chose to just accept her taunts and chuckled. "I suppose that's what it was."

Emaley smiled and silence followed. Mike seemed to be finding what to say next while Emaley prayed he would come up blank. She was not in the mood right now to play the part as friendly neighbor. She just wanted to go inside and escape the reality. Or perhaps it was her dreamland now. She wasn't sure which was which anymore.

Making a popping sound with her lips, Emaley broke the awkward silence and took a step towards her door. "Well, this has been….interesting, but I think I'm gonna-"

"Oh, Emaley, wait!" Mike interrupted, taking a step towards Emaley.

With a sigh, she turned back to him and waited for him to say what he wanted to say. "Yeah?"

Mike was quiet for a moment and nervously ran a hand through his hair before saying anything. "It's still pretty early and…I haven't ate yet. I was, uh, wondering if you wanted to go and get something to eat?"

Emaley grinned half-heartedly. "I'm, uh, not much of a breakfast person. Like I said, it's been a long night and I just wanna rest, you know?"

Mike's face dropped and he nodded stiffly. "Uh, yeah. Maybe we can postpone?"

"Mike, right? I'm sure you're a great guy and all, but I'm just not really one to do things like this. You know, dinner dates and friends. I think it would be best if we just kept this to a head nod and a 'how's it going' in the mornings."

Mike was determined to make something positive out of this exchange though and wasn't going to let Emaley go back inside until they agreed on some kind of friendship.

"I know I'm just the new guy in the neighborhood, but that might just be great for the both of us. I'm so tired of hanging out with my cousins."

Emaley couldn't hide the laugh now, even if she wanted to. "So, that's all of who you know here? Your cousins?"

Mike nodded with a smile, excited that he was actually getting somewhere with her. "Yeah, dragging Shelbi out of gas stations got old really quick."

"Yeah, I bet. She definitely seems exciting though. Gotta give her that." Emaley agreed with a warm smile. Maybe she was too harsh on him. Just an hour ago she was talking about how she should open up more. Maybe Mike was right. Maybe it was better that they knew nothing about each other. Well, sort of didn't know anything about each other. "You know what? I think I'll take you up on that offer. Not now, but sometime soon, okay?"

Mike was happy with that. "Yeah, sounds perfect. My instincts were right about you. You can't deny breakfast for too long."

 _You can't._

Emaley knew, deep down, that she was being crazy, but she froze at the words. The voices were almost identical. Sure, one was more menacing and dark, but there was no doubt that they were identical. Her heart started beating rapidly and she could feel her palms getting sweaty. She had to go inside and rest. She was going insane! At least, that's what she hoped. Fantasy was much better than reality.

"I have to go." She said shakily, forcefully unlocked her door, and slammed it behind her.

Mike tried to stop her, but was interrupted by the slamming door. In a split second, she went from a seemingly-sweet, friendly girl to a shaking, horrified mess. What happened? Maybe Albert was right about her...

No, he was going to give her the benefit of the doubt. From his short time here, he could tell many people chose to see her as broken. There was no doubt that she had some issues that needed resolving, but he saw potential in her. From what he heard, she had everything going for her before the incident. She was going to go places and really make a difference, yet here she was. Traumatized without a single person left to care for her. After everything he did in his past, it was time he provided a positive influence.

With a sigh, he trudged back to his apartment and tried to decide what he was going to do with all the boxes left over from the move.


End file.
